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HISTORY 


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NORTH  CAROLINA 


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VOLUME  IV 
NORTH  CAROLINA  BIOGRAPHY 

BY  SPECIAL  STAFF  OF  WRITERS 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  AND  NEW  YORK 

1919 


1 


Copyright,    1919 

BY 

THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


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HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Hon.  Nathaniel  Boyden.  A  concise  summaiy 
of  the  life  and  distinguished  services  of  Hon.  Na- 
thaniel Boyden  was  given  recently  by  Chief  Justice 
Clark  upon  the  acceptance  of  a  portrait  of  the 
former  justice.     Said  Judge  Clark: 

"He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  the 
son  of  a  soldier  of  the  Eevolution,  and  his  son 
served  the  South  with  distinction  in  the  War  of 
of  1861-65.  He  came  to  this  state  in  1822  and  was 
several  times  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  In 
1847  he  was  a  member  of  Congress,  and  again  in 
1868.  He  was  appointed  to  the  Supreme  Court  in 
May,  1871,  and  served  two  and  a  half  years  tiU 
his  death  in  November,  1873. 

"Admitted  to  the  bar  in  1823,  he  served  in  his 
profession  with  great  distinction  for  nearly  half 
a  century.  During  that  time  it  was  his  custom 
to  attend  forty-eight  courts  each  year,  and  he 
practiced  regularly  in  twelve  counties. 

' '  When  appointed  to  the  Supreme  Court  Bench, 
Judge  Boyden  was  in  his  75th  year,  being  the 
oldest  man  ever  appointed  to  this  bench.  Judge 
Boyden  brought  to  this  court  the  accumulated 
learning  and  experience  of  nearly  fifty  years  at 
the  bar  and  the  intesity  of  energy  and  love  of 
labor  which  had  gained  him  success  and  fortune 
in  that  forum,  and  commanded  for  him  a  well 
earned  reputation  here. ' ' 

Nathaniel  Boyden  was  born  at  Conway,  Mass- 
achusetts, August  16,  1796.  The  Boyden  family 
was  long  established  in  England,  where  the  name 
is  found  in  records  covering  three  centuries.  It 
was  from  ancestors  of  wealth  and  distinction  that 
Nathaniel  Boyden  derived  many  qualities  that 
enabled  him  to  adorn  the  positions  he  held  in 
life. 

The  ancestor  of  all  the  earlier  members  of  the 
famUy  was  Thomas  Boyden,  who  left  Ipswich, 
Suffolk  County,  England,  in  April,  1635,  and  on 
the  ship  Francis  came  to  Massachusetts.  There 
is  an  extended  genealogical  work  entitled 
' '  Thomas  Boyden  and  his  descendants. ' '  His  son, 
Thomas  Boyden,  Jr.,  born  at  Watertown,  Mass- 
achusetts, September  26,  1639,  married  Martha 
Holden,  daughter  of  Richard  Holden,  who  ,  c^me 
to  America  in  the  ship  Francis  in  1634.  From 
Watertown  they  moved  to  Groton.  Their  son, 
Jonathan  Boyden,  was  born  September  27,  1675, 
lived  and  died  in  Groton.  The  family  names  ot 
neither  of  his  wives  have  been  preserved.  His  son, 
Josiah  Boyden,  bom  at  Groton  September  21, 
1701,  moved  to  Deerfield  about  1762,  and  in  1767 
was  one  of  those  who  sighed  the  petition  asking 
for  a  division  of  the  township.  The  answer  to  that 
petition  was  the  Town  of  Conway.  Josiah  Boyden 
first  married  Eunice  Parker. 

Their  son  John  Boyden,  father  of  Judge  Boyden, 
was  born  at  Conway,  Massachusetts,  January  29, 
1764,  and  was  the  first  male  child  of  European  par- 


ents born  in  that  township.  He  died  October  2, 
1857,  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-three.  As  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolution  he  stood  on  guard  at  one 
end  of  the  cable  stretched  across  the  Hudson 
River  to  prevent  the  passing  of  the  sloop  of  war 
Vulture  when  Benedict  Arnold  was  plotting  to 
betray  West  Point,  and  he  often  reverentially  spoke 
of  seeing  Washington  when  he  made  his  unex- 
pected visit  to  West  Point  after  Arnold 's  flight. 
John  Boyden  enlisted  several  times  during  the 
Revolution.  His  first  enlistment  was  for  three 
months  at  Ticouderoga.  Aside  from  his  military 
service  he  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  at  Conway. 

Judge  Boyden 's  mother,  Eunice  Hayden,  was  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Moses  Hayden,  a  learned  phy- 
sician of  Conway.  Eunice  Hayden  was  a  sister  of 
Hon.  Moses  Hayden,  a  member  of  Congress  from 
New  York.  On  this  side  of  the  family  William 
Hayden  came  to  America  in  1630.  The  Haydens 
long  held  legal  appointment  in  England  from  the 
king  and  Nathaniel  Boyden  probably  derived  his 
brilliant  talents  as  a  lawyer  from  his  mother's 
family. 

Nathaniel  Boyden  displayed  the  martial  spirit 
of  his  ancestors  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  enlisted 
in  the  War  of  1812.  For  his  services  he  was 
granted  a  land  warrant  for  160  acres.  He  was 
liberally  educated,  preparing  for  college  at  Deer- 
field  Academy,  and  attending  in  succession  Wil- 
liams College,  and  Union  College  in  New  York, 
whence  he  wa9  graduated  in  July,  1821.  He 
studied  law  while  in  college,  and  also  under  his 
uncle  Hon.  Moses  Hayden. 

In  1822  Nathaniel  Boyden  came  south  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching  school.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  and  his  companion,  a  clock-maker's  agent, 
named  Sidney  Porter — grandfather  of  the  late 
' '  O.  Henry ' ' — alighted  from  the  stage  coach  near 
King's  Crossroads  in  Guilford  County,  North  Caro- 
lina; and  after  breakfast,  having  surveyed  the 
scane,  they  determined  on  the  spur  of  the  moment 
to  remain,  rather  than  continue  to  their  destination 
further   south. 

Nathaniel  Boyden  found  a  school  to  teach  at 
King's  Cross  Roads  and  at  the  same  time  ac- 
quainted himself  with  the  North  Carolina  Legal 
Code  and  Procedure.  Later  he  taught  school  in 
Madison,  Rockingham  County,  where  he  met  Ruth, 
great-niece  of  Governor  Alexander  Martin.  She 
became  his  wife  January  20,  1825.  In  December, 
1823,  he  was  licensed  to  practice  and  settled  near 
Germanton  in  Stokes  County,  where  he  resided 
until  his  removal  to  Surrey  County  in  1832.  In 
1842  he  moved  to  Salisbury  which  was  his  home 
until  his  death,  November  30,  1873. 

Aside  from  these  facts  it  is  possible  to  obtain 
something  approaching  a  better  estimate  and  char- 
acti  lization  of  Judge  Boyden  from  the  words  of 
Dr.    Archibald    Henderson    of    the    University    of 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Isorth  Carolina,  in  his  address  on  presenting  the 
portrait  of  Judge  Boydeu  to  the  Supreme  Court. 

In  appreciation  of  Nathaniel  Boyden's  powers 
as  a  lawyer,  Dr.  Henderson  said:  "Brought  into 
competition,  at  the  outset  of  his  legal  career  with 
men  of  the  stamp  of  Ruflin,  Murphey,  Nash,  Settle, 
Yancey  and  the  Moreheads,  he  met  every 
eanergency  tlirough  the  extraordinary  gifts  with 
which  nature  and  study  had  endowed  him — vigor- 
ous intellect,  perception  quick  as  light,  and  an 
ability  in  mental  reasoning  well-nigh  phenomenal. 
A  later  contemporary  thus  characterizes  him:  'He 
delighted  in  the  practice  of  the  noble  profession 
which  he  so  much  adorned  and  in  which  he 
reached  so  high  an  eminence.  The  fine  intellectual 
conflicts  to  which  it  gave  rise  had  for  him  in- 
describable charms.  They  were  meat  and  drink  to 
his  nature.  Self  reliance  never  forsook  him  for  a 
moment.  His  moral  courage  was  sublime.  He 
never  slirank  from  the  performance  of  any  duty 
nor  hesitated  to  take  any  responsibility.  His  fidel- 
ity to  his  chiefs  was  never  doubted.  With  all 
these  high  qualities,  being  well  grounded  in  the 
law  and  thoroughly  understanding  its  great  cardi- 
nal principles,  success  was  inevitable. ' 

' '  From  his  time  of  retirement  from  Congress 
until  his  elevation  to  the  Bench  he  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  over  a 
circuit  of  twelve  counties.  For  more  than  thirty 
years  he  regularly  attended  the  sessions  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State.  Endowed  with  an 
eminently  practical  mind  and  extraordinary  in- 
dustry, he  attained  to  great  repute  and  achieved 
a  handsome  competency.  As  Associate  Justice 
of  this  Court  during  the  two  and  a  half  years  of 
his  incumbency,  Judge  Boyden  delivered  opinions, 
which,  for  practical  wisdom,  broad  knowledge,  and 
cogency  in  reasoning  may  uniformly  be  cited  with 
profit.  The  present  distinguished  head  of  this 
court  has  WTitten  of  Jodge  Boyden :  '  Wliile  on 
the  Bench  he  was  said  to  have  been  especially  use- 
ful on  questions  of  practice.  He  possessed  a  strong 
and  cultivated  mind,  and  was  endowed  with  an 
extraordinary  memory.  A  fair  specimen  of  his 
style  and  his  practical  turn  of  mind  will  be  found 
in  Horton  v.  Green,  66  N.  C,  596,  an  action  for 
deceit  and  false  warranty. '  ' ' 

Of  especial  interest  are  his  attitude  and  position 
in  the  political  life  and  thought  of  his  time  as 
portraj-ed  by  Dr.  Henderson.  "In  all  the  political 
changes,  through  periods  of  great  stress  and  fer- 
ment, in  state  audt  nation,  Judge  Boyden  was 
allied  with  more  than  one  political  party.  But  as 
an  old  line  Whig  he  stood  consistently  for  the 
doctrines  in  which  he  had  early  learned  "to  believe. 
In  the  earlier  years  of  his  life  he  was  a  Madisonian 
republican,  and  when  the  old  republican  party  dis- 
solved he  joined  the  national  republicans  and  sup- 
ported John  Quincy  Adams  for  the  presidency  in 
1825  and  1829.  Upon  its  formation  he  became  a 
member  of  the  whig  party  and  stood  steadfastly 
by  its  fortunes  to  the  last.  And  when  that  party 
ceased  to  exist  he  continued  to  cling  to  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  which  it  had  taught.  *  »  * 
From  the  very  beginning  of  the  war  between  the 
States  he  never  expected  any  other  result  than 
the  final  surrender  of  the  Confederate  forces  to 
the  Federal  army.  Yet,  notwithstanding  what  he 
regarded  as  their  great  political  errors,  he  mani- 
fested the  profoundest  sympathy  with  the  Southern 
people,  lamented  the  stern  penalties  of  war,  and 
lent  his  aid  to  the  citizens  of  his  adopted  State. 
*  *  *  Judge  Boyden  was  identified  with  the 
South  by  family  ties,  by  interest,  and  by  all  the 


memories  of  his  balmy  days;  and  he  was  not,  at 
heart,  untrue  to  the  South  in  opposing  that  which 
his  sagacious  mind  considered  baneful  to  her  wel- 
fare, prosperity  and  peace.  He  looked  upon  seces- 
sion as  disastrous  to  the  South.  But  once  the  die 
was  cast,  he  went  with  the  State.  One  may  read 
today  in  The  Carolina  Watchman  of  24th  of  Aug- 
ust, 1861,  the  list  of  subscriptions  to  the  Confeder- 
ate Loan — a  list  headed  by  the  name  of  Nathaniel 
Boyden  in  tiie  sum  of  $1,500,  accompanied  by  the 
statement  that  his  tobacco,  as  well,  would  be  freely 
subscribed.  He  bore  the  sternest  test  of  all — he 
gave  his  beloved  voungest  son,  Archibald  Hender- 
son, to  fight  for  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy. 

' '  One  who  knew  him  intimately  has  written  that 
'no  man  was  more  opposed  to  the  plan  of  Con- 
gressional reconstruction  than  Judge  Boyden,  and 
none  labored  harder  to  prevent  it. '  But  at  the 
same  time  none  realized  more  clearly  than  he  the 
exigency,  as  well  as  the  intrinsic  justice,  of  mak- 
ing some  sort  of  concession  in  the  form  of  political 
privileges  to  the  negro  race.  Nathaniel  Boyden 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Worth  in  1866  on  a 
Commission,  the  main  function  of  which  was  to 
investigate  the  condition  of  affairs  and  mature  a 
rational  and  humane  policy.  *  *  *  The  plan 
proposed,  known  as  the  'North  Carolina  Plan,'  in 
the  formulation  of  which  Judge  Boyden  had  a 
large  shaxe,  had  for  its  basis  impartial  suffrage 
and  universal  amnesty.  *  *  *  In  all  probability, 
the  North  Carolina  Plan  would  have  been  accepted, 
liy  the  State  Legislature  but  for  the  conviction 
that  it  would  be  only  the  prelude  to  the  imposition 
of  deeper  humiliations.  Foreseeing  the  direful 
consequences  to  North  Carolina  in  case  of  its  fail- 
ure, Mr.  Boyden  had  its  success  deeply  at  heart. 
Upon  learning  of  the  failure  of  the  plan,  after 
all  his  arduous  and  sincerely  patriotic  efforts,  the 
anguished  man  vented  his  deep  grief  in  bitter  tears. 
*  *  *  It  was  related  in  writing  by  the  late  John 
A.  Boyden,  and  is  believed  to  be  an  historic  fact, 
though  never  hitherto  given  to  the  pulilic,  that 
President  Lincoln  had  selected  Nathajiiel  Boyden 
for  the  post  of  Provisional  Governor  of  North 
Carolina.  The  proclamation  had  been  prepared 
by  President  Lincoln,  who  was  assassinated  on  the 
night  before  it  was  to  be  published. 

"In  the  Convention  of  1865  he  playe*!  one  of 
the  leading  roles  and  introduced  the  ordinance 
which  declared  that  the  ordinance  of  May  20, 
1861,  'is  now  and  has  been  at  all  times  null  and 
void. '  In  the  impeachment  trial  of  Governor 
Holden  he  was  one  of  the  brilliant  array  of  legal 
talent  composing  the  Governor's  counsel;  and  his 
speech  on  March  17,  1871,  with  its  imposing  mar- 
shalling of  legal  authorities,  is  memorable  as  an 
argument  on  the  impossibility  of  holding  the  Gov- 
ernor responsible  for  his  execution- of  an  imeon- 
stitutional  law. 

' '  Lastly  Mr.  Boyden  was  consistent  with  his  own 
principles,  long  tenaciously  maintained,  in  trans- 
ferring his  allegiance  in  1868,  to  the  republican 
party.  *  *  *  Apart  from  the  policy  of  the  re- 
publican party  in  reference  to  reconstruction  he 
had  always  held  to  some  of  its  great  cardinal 
principles." 

The  following  tribute  to  Judge  Boyden  was  writ- 
ten at  the  time  of  his  death  by  Dr.  Henderson's 
father.  ' '  In  all  his  intercourse  with  his  f ellownien 
Judge  Boyden  was  straightforward,  honest,  direct- 
He  was  a  pattern  of  perfect  sincerity  in  all  that 
he  said  or  did.  He  was  manly  in  everything.  Flat- 
tery he  det^-sted.  The  arts  of  the  demagogue  he 
despised.      No  man   ever    lived   who   was   farther 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


away  from  corruption.  His  integrity  was  never 
doubted  iy  any  man  who  came  near  him.  His 
manly  ajid  straightforward  courage,  aceorapauied 
by  a  certain  brusqueness  of  manner,  may  have  led 
some  to  suppose  that  he  was  deficient  in  some  of 
the  qualities  of  the  heaxK  If  so,  it  was  a  great 
mistake.  With  as  much  of  true  manhood  as  be- 
longs to  the  greatest  and  most  powerful  characters, 
he  yet  possessed  all  the  tenderness  that  character- 
izes the  gentlest  of  the  gentler  sex.  None  who 
knew  him  well  can  deny  that  his  was  a  character 
that  deserves  to  be  held  long  in  remembrance,  espe- 
cially as  a  bright  example  to  the  young  men  of  the 
country.  Let  them  take  courage  from  that  re- 
markalde  example,  and  emulate  his  many  virtues 
and  noble  qualities,  and  success  in  whatever  they 
undertake  is  within  their  reach. ' ' 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  his  first 
marriage.  This  wife  died  August  20,  1844,  leav- 
ing four  childi-en,  Nathaniel,  John  Augustus,  Sarah 
Ann  and  Ruth.  In  November,  1845,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Mrs.  Jane  (Henderson)  Mitchell,  widow  of 
Dr.  Lueco  Mitchell,  and  niece  of  Chief  Justice 
Leonard  Henderson  and  daughter  of  Archibald 
Henderson.  Of  this  union  there  was  one  son, 
Archibald  H.  Boyden,  w-hose  career  is  subject  for 
a  separate  sketch  on  other  pages. 

Col.  Aechib.ild  Henderson  Boyden.  A  broad- 
minded,  public-spirited  citizen  of  Salisbury,  Rowan 
County,  Col.  Archibald  H.  Boyden,  now  serving 
as  postmaster,  has  long  been  associated  with  the 
higher  and  better  interests  of  city  and  county, 
advocating  and  working  for  those  ideas  and 
measures  that  will  be  of  lasting  good  to  the  com- 
munity, being  more  especially  interested  in  the 
mental,  moral,  and  physical  development  of  the 
children  of  this  generation,  in  whom  he  sees  the 
future  guardians  of  the  public  welfare.  Coming 
from  honored  New  England  ancestry,  he  was  born 
in  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  January  29,  1847, 
a  sou  of  Hon.  Nathaniel  and  Jane  Mitchell  (Hen- 
derson) Boyden,  and  maternal  grandson  of  Hon. 
Archibald  and  Sarah  (Alexander)  Henderson, 
families  of  prominence  and  influence.  The  house 
in  which  his  birth  occurred,  and  which  he  now 
owns  and  occupies,  was  built  by  his  grandfather, 
Hon.  Archibald  Henderson,  in  1800.  It  is  a  large 
commodious,  frame  building,  colonial  in  style,  and 
sits  back  some'  distance  from  the  street,  the  lo- 
cation being  ideal.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  beautiful 
lawn,  ornamented  with  trees,  plants  and  shrubs, 
rendering  the  place  pleasant  and  attractive.  On 
this  lot  stood  the  building  occupied  as  a  law  oflSce 
by  Andrew  Jackson  during  the  year  he  practiced 
law  in  Salisbury.  In  1876  Mr.  Boyden  sold  the 
building,  which  was  taken  first  to  Philadelphia, 
and  later  to  Cliieago. 

In  1863  Mr.  Boyden  left  the  preparatory  school 
in  which  he  was  being  fitted  for  college  to  enter 
the  Confederate  Army.  Going  to  Virginia,  he  was 
detailed  as  a  courier  to  Gen.  Robert  F.  Hoke,  and 
served  in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  con- 
flict. Returning  home  with  health  badly  shattered 
by  the  many  hardships  and  privations  of  life  in 
camp  and  field.  Colonel  Boyden  was  for  nearly  five 
years  incapacitated  for  work.  Regaining  his  for- 
mer physical  vigor,  he  engaged  in  the  buying  and 
selling  of  cotton,  a  substantial  business  with  which 
he  has  since  been  actively  identified,  being  presi- 
dent of  Boyden,  Oranan  &  Co.  and  vice  president 
of  Oranan  &  Co.,  wholesale  dealers  and  jobbers, 
also  interested  in  various  other  enterprises  of  a 
commercial  or  financial  nature. 


Taking  a  genuine  interest  in  everything  con- 
nected with  the  advancement  of  the  public  welfare, 
Colonel  Boyden  has  served  with  credit  to  himseU', 
and  to  the  honor  and  satisfaction  of  his  constitu- 
ents in  numerous  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility. 
He  was  for  tea  years  mayor  of  Salisbury.  When 
he  was  first  nominated  to  that  position,  he  prom- 
ised, if  elected,  to  give  the  city  the  much-needed 
sidewalks,  good  roads,  and  better  schools,  and 
under  his  efficient  administration  all  of  these  prom- 
ises were  fulfilled  to  the  letter,  sidewalks  being 
built,  streets  being  paved,  and  the  schools  placed 
among  the  best  in  the  state.  A  new  railroad  sta- 
tion, which  Salisbury  had  long  needed,  was  erected 
through  the  colonel's  influence  with  the  railroad 
officials,  it  being  the  best  station  on  the  road  be- 
tween Washington  and  Atlanta. 

In  1911  Colonel  Boyden  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate,  and  was  renominated  in  1913,  but  refused 
to  accept  the  nomination.  While  a  member  of  the 
Senate  he  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  for  the 
state  iuspection  of  schools,  but  it  was  defeated  in 
the  House.  He  continued  to  advocate  the  measure, 
however,  and  the  Legislature  of  1916  enacteu 
such  a  law.  For  a  full  quarter  of  a  century  the 
colonel  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  and  for  twelve  years  has  been,  postmaster. 

Actively  interested  not  only  in  the  welfare  of 
the  children,  but  in  that  of  the  Confederate  soldier, 
Colonel  Boyden  is  serving  as  chairman  of  the 
board  of  managers  of  the  Soldiers'  Home  at  Ra- 
leigh, where  the  175  inmates  are  well  cared  for, 
and  is  also  chairman  of  the  pension  board  of 
Rowan  County.  He  is  commander  of  the  First 
Brigade,  North  Carolina  Veterans.  He  is  likewise 
chairman  of  the  Salisbury  Board  of  Charities;  a 
member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the  Thompson 
Episcopal  Orphanage  at  Cliarlotte;  and  a  director 
of  the   Children 's  Home  at  Greensboro. 

On  July  7,  1880,  Colonel  Boyden  was  united  in 
marriage  witli  May  Wh*it,  a  daughter  of  Hon. 
Francis  E.  and  May  (Wheat)  Shober,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Rev.  John  Thomas  Wheat,  whose 
brother.  Major  Rob  Wheat,  commanded  the  Louisi- 
ana Tigers  in  the  Civil  War.  Mrs.  Boyden 's  great- 
grandfather on  the  paternal  side,  Gottlieb  Shober, 
was  a  leader  in  the  Moravian  Colony,  located  at 
Salem,  Forsyth  County.  Her  father  was  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  serving  as  a  representative  to 
Congress,  and  later  as  secretary  of  the  Senate. 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  Boyden  have  two  daughters, 
namely:  May  Wheat,  who  married  Dr.  Vance  R. 
Brawley,  and  has  two  children,  Robert  V.  Jr.,  and 
Boyden;  and  Jane  Henderson,  wife  of  Burton 
Craige,  has  three  children,  Burton,  Jr.,  Jane  Hen- 
derson and  an  infant.  Colonel  Boyden  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  vestryman  for  several  years.' 

Hon.  Archib.\ld  Henderson,  who  was  bom  in 
Granville  County,  North  Carolina,  August  7,  1768, 
.and  died  at  Salisbury  October  21,  1822,  had  a 
career  replete  with  the  finest  successes  and  dig- 
nities of  the  law,  citizenship  and  manhood.  All  of 
this  is  perhaps  best  expressed  in  the  inscription 
placed  on  his  monument  by  the  North  Carolina 
bar,  in  these  words: 

"In  Memory  of  Archibald  Henderson,  to  whom 
his  associates  at  the  Bar  have  erected  this  Monn- 
ment  to  mark  their  vener.ation  for  the  character  of 
a.  Lawyer  who  illustrated  their  profession  by  the 
extent  of  his  learning,  and  the  unblemished  integ- 
rity of  his  life;  of  a  Man  who  sustained  and  em- 
bellished all  the  relations  of  Social  Life  with  rect- 


4 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


itude  and  benevolence  of  a  Citizen;  wlio  elevated 
by  the  native  dignity  of  his  mind  above  the  atmos- 
phere of  selfishness  and  party,  pursued  calmly,  yet 
zealously,  the  true  interest  of  his  country. ' ' 

He  was  of  Scotch  ancestry.  His  grandfather, 
Samuel  Henderson,  came  from  Hanover  County, 
Virginia,  and  settled  in  Grannlle  County,  North 
Carolina,  about  1743,  and  subsequently  served  as 
sheriff  of  that  county.  Richard  Henderson,  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  article,  was  born  in  Hanover 
County,  Virginia,  April  20,  1735.  He  read  law 
with  his  cousin.  Judge  Williams,  for  twelve  months. 
When  he  applied  for  a  license  to  the  chief  justice 
of  the  colony,  whose  duty  it  was  to  examine  ap- 
plicajits  and  on  his  certificate  request  that  a  li- 
cense be  issued  by  the  governor,  young  Henderson 
was  asked  how  long  he  had  read  law  and  what 
books.  When  the  limited  time  was  stated  with  the 
number  of  books  read,  the  judge  remarked  that  it 
was  useless  to  go  into  any  examination  as  no  liv- 
ing man,  in  so  short  a  time,  could  have  read  and 
digested  the  works  he  had  named.  With  great 
promptness  and  firmness  young  Henderson  replied 
that  it  was  his  privilege  to  apply  for  a  license  and 
the  judge's  duty  to  examine  him,  and  if  he  was 
not  qualified  to  reject  him.  The  judge,  struck 
with  his  sensible  and  spirited  reply,  proceeded  to 
a  most  searching  examination.  So  well  did  the 
applicant  sustain  himself  that  not  only  was  the  cer- 
tificate granted  but  with  it  went  encomiums  on  his 
industry,  acquirements  and  talents. 

The  brilliant  qualities  of  mind  thus  exemplified 
were  sustained  throughout  his  mature  career.  He 
soon  rose  to  the  highest  rank  in  his  profession, 
and  honors  and  wealth  followed.  A  vacancy  oc- 
curring on  the  bench,  he  was  appointed  by  the 
governor  a  judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  the  high- 
est court  in  the  colony.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of  this  dignified  position  with  fidelity  and  credit 
during  an  exciting  and  interesting  period  of  North 
Carolina  history.  On  oije  occasion  he  was  forced 
to  leave  HUlsboro  by  the  disturbances  of  the  regu- 
lators. In  1779  he  headed  the  commission  which 
extended  westward  the  dividing  line  between  Vir- 
ginia and  North  CaroUna. 

His  name  has  an  interesting  association  with  the 
progress  of  opening  up  the  country  west  of  thb 
Alleghenies.  In  1774,  on  the  adWce  of  Daniel 
Boone,  who  had  carefully  explored  the  country. 
Judge  Henderson  formed  a  company,  comprising 
John  WDliams  and  Leonard  H.  Bullock  of  Gran- 
ville, and  others  from  Orange  County,  and  bought 
from  the  Cherokee  Indians  for  a  fair  considera- 
tion all  their  lands  south  of  the  Kentucky  River 
beginning  at  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the 
Ohio  River  and  thence  south  into  Tennessee  and 
including  a  large  portion  of  the  present  states  of 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  The  company,  known 
to  history  as  the  Transylvania  Company,  took 
possession  under  their  title  April  20,  1775,  and 
on  May  25,  Judge  Henderson,  as  president  of  the 
Transylvania  Company,  convened  the  first  Legisla- 
tive assembly  ever  held  west  of  the  Alleghenies. 
In  1780  Judge  Henderson  encouraged  the  settle- 
ment at  the  French  Lick,  now  Nashville,  ana 
opened  an  office  there  for  the  sale  of  the  lands. 
Not  long  after  his  return  to  North  Carolina  Rich- 
ard Henderson  died  at  his  home  in  Granville,  Jan- 
uary 30,  1785.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Elizabeth  Keeling.  He  was  survived  by  six 
children,  Fanny,  Richard,  Archibald,  Elizabeth, 
Leonard  and  John  Lawson.  The  son,  Leonard, 
afterward  rose  to  distinction  and  became  chief 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina. 


Archibald  Henderson  studied  law  with  Judge 
WUliams  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  locating 
soon  afterward  at  Salisbury.  He  soon  became 
prominent  in  public  life  and  from  1799  to  1803 
represented  his  district  in  Congress.  He  also  repre- 
sented Salisbury  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1807, 
1808,  1809,  1814,  1819  and  1820.  About  the 
year  1800  he  built  a  commodious  frame  house  in 
colonial  style,  located  on  South  Church  street,  and 
it  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  grandson. 
Colonel  Archibald  Henderson  Boyden.  It  was  in 
this  dignified  old  home  that  Archibald  Henderson 
died.  He  married  Sarah  Alexander,  daughter  ol 
Colonel  Moses  Alexander,  and  sister  of  William 
Lee  Alex.ander  and  of  Governor  Nathaniel  Alex- 
ander. They  reared  two  children,  Archibald  ana 
Jane,  the  latter  becoming  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lueco 
Mitchell   and  later   of   Judge   Nathaniel  Boyden. 

Joseph  Gill  Brown.  A  few  of  his  old-time 
friends  and  associates  have  distinct  recollections  of 
Joseph  Gill  Brown  in  the  capacity  of  bank  clerk 
at  Raleigh.  Well  informed  people  of  the  entire 
state  and  in  fact  the  entire  South  hardly  need  to 
be  reminded  of  his  important  relationships  with 
the  financial  affairs  of  North  Carolina  and  the 
nation  at  large.  Joseph  GUI  Brown  is  without 
doubt  one  of  the  foremost  bankers  of  the  South, 
and  his  range  of  influence  and  activities  has  ex- 
tended to  many  other  affairs. 

He  was  born  at  Raleigh  November  5,  1854,  a 
son  of  Henry  Jerome  and  Lydia  (Lane)  Brown. 
His  people  have  always  been  fairly  well  to  do  and 
liighly  respected  families.  Some  of  his  ancestors 
were  prominent.  His  great-grandfather  on  the 
maternal  side  was  James  Lane,  a  brother  of  Joel 
Lane,  who  was  the  original  owner  of  the  site  of 
Raleigh.  Mr.  Brown 's  mother  was  born  on  the 
farm  on  which  Raleigh  now  stands.  Mr.  Lane 's 
house  in  Bloomsbury,  now  included  in  the  city,  was 
the  place  of  meeting  for  the  Revolutionary  Legis- 
lature in  1781.  Another  ancestor  of  Mr.  Brown 
was  Col.  Needham  Bryan  of  Johnston  County. 
Colonel  Bryan  was  a  representative  in  the  Provin- 
cial Congress  and  was  an  active  supporter  of  the 
Patriot  cause  during  the  Revolution. 

Joseph  G.  Brown  obtained  his  early  education 
in  private  schools,  in  Lovejoy  Academy,  and  com- 
pleted half  of  his  sophomore  year  in  Trinity  Col- 
lege, which  he  left  in  1872.  Beginning  as  a  clerk 
in  the  Citizens  National  Bank,  in  a  little  more  than 
twenty  years  he  had  been  promoted  through  the 
various  grades  of  responsibility  and  since  1894  has 
been  president  of  the  Citizens  National  Bank  and 
is  also  president  of  the  Raleigh  Savings  Bank  & 
Trust  Company,  whose  combined  resources  now 
total  more  than  $4,000,000. 

He  was  for  years  president  of  the  Raleigh  Clear- 
ing House  Association,  was  president  of  the  Jeffer- 
son Standard  Life  Insurance  Company,  is  vice 
president  of  the  Atlantic  Fire  Insurance  Company, 
a  director  in  the  Carolina  Division  of  the  Southern 
Railway  and  president  of  the  Carolina  &  Tennessee 
Southern  Railway. 

Much  of  his  experience  and  study  of  finance  and 
business  have  been  made  available  for  others 
through  his  active  associations  with  various  public 
bodies.  He  was  president  of  the  North  Carolina 
State  Bankers  Association  in  1899-1900  and  was  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bankers  Association  for  nine  years  and  vice 
president  for  North  Carolina  of  that  association. 
Many  times  he  has  been  called  upon  to  make  ad- 
dresses  before   the   conventions   of   the   American 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Bankers  Association  and  his  words  are  always 
heard  as  authoritative  utterances  on  such  questions 
as  the  economic  and  financial  life  of  the  South. 
He  delivered  one  notable  address  before  this  asso- 
ciation at  New  Orleans  in  1902  and  was  again  a 
speaker  in  1904.  He  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee in  cliarge  of  the  National  Emergency  Cur- 
rency and  is  now  chairman  of  the  Liberty  Loan 
Committee  in  charge  of  the  campaign  for  the  sale 
of  Liberty  Bonds  in  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Brown  has  that  breadth  of  mind  and  in- 
terest which  his  position  as  a  leader  in  southern 
life  would  indicate.  He  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent Methodist  laymen  in  the  southern  branch  of 
the  church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Con- 
ference in  1898,  1902,  1906,  1910  and  1914,  and 
was  elected  for  the  general  conference  of  1918  to 
convene  in  May  of  that  year.  For  several  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Epworth  Board  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South,  was  a  delegate 
to  the  Missionary  Ecumenical  Conference  at  New 
York  in  1900,  and  was  appointed  by  the  College  of 
Bishops  as  delegate  to  the  World's  Ecumenical 
Conference  at  London  in  1902.  For  several  years 
he  has  been  a  steward  at  his  home  church  in 
Raleigh,  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and 
is  a  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Methodist  Orphan- 
age. He  is  also  a  trustee  of  the  Olivia  Eaney 
Library,  and  was  president  of  the  Raleigh  Asso- 
ciated Charities. 

For  twenty-five  years  he  served  as  treasurer  of 
the  City  of  Raleigh,  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  is  president  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees'  of  Trinity  College,  and  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  State  Hospitals  for  In- 
sane. He  is  a  member  of  the  Raleigh  Chamber  of 
Commerce-  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  Odd  Fel- 
lows of  the  state,  having  served  as  grand  master 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  as  representative  to  the 
Sovereign  Grand  Lodge  of  the  World. 

November  10,  1881,  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss 
Alice  Burkhead,  of  Raleigh,  daughter  of  Rev.  L.  S. 
Burkhead,  D.  D.,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  South.  They  have  four  liring  chil- 
dren: Josephine  Lane,  now  Mrs.  J.  K.  Doughton, 
of  Richmond,  Virginia,  Robert  Anderson,  Bessie 
and  Frank  Burkhead  Brown. 

Edwin  Mich.iel  Holt.  Repeated  _  references 
have  been  made  in  these  pages  to  Edwin  M.  Holt 
as  the  founder  of  the  old  Alamance  Mill  at  Bur- 
lington, where  the  first  colored  cotton  fabric  in 
the  South  was  woven,  and  which  was,  in  effect, 
the  beginning  of  the  great  cotton  mill  industry 
of  North  Carolina,  an  industry  which  in  the  eighty 
years  following  the  founding  of  the  Alamance  Mill 
has  not  merely  grown  but  multiplied,  and  its  mul- 
tiplication has  been  carried  forward  and  stimulated 
by  no  one  family  so  much  as  that  of  Edwin  M. 
Holt,  his  son,  grandsons  and  all  the  connections 
comprehended  in  the  Holt  family.  Apart  from 
the  general  interest  that  would  demand  something 
like  an  adequate  review  of  the  history  of  this  man, 
his  part  in  industrial  North  Carolina  makes  his 
personal  record  an  indispensable  chapter.  The 
story  as  told  here  of  his  life  and  achievements 
is  largely  as  it  has  been  told  before  in  the  words 
of  his  kinsman  Martin  H.  Holt,  and  as  published 
some  years  ago. 

Edwin  Miciiae!  Holt  was  born  January  14,  1807, 
in  Orange,  in  what  is  now  Alainance  County,  and 
died  at  his  home  at  Locust  Grove  in  Alamance 
County   May    14,   1884,   aged   seventy-seven  years 


and  four  months.  His  grandfather  was  Capt 
Michael  Holt  of  Little  Alamance,  a  man  of  promi- 
nence in  the  Revolutionary  period.  His  parents 
were  Michael  and  Rachael  (Rainey)  Holt.  Hia 
father  was  a  farmer,  mechanic  and  merchant,  his 
home  being  one  mile  south  of  Great  Alamance 
Creek  on  the  Salisbury  and  Hillsboro  Road,  where 
Edwin  M.  was  born.  Rachael  Rainey  has  been  de- 
scribed as  a  woman  of  queenly  beauty  coupled 
with  strong  common  sense.  Her  parents  were 
Benjamin  and  Nancy  Rainey  and  her  grand- 
parents, William  and  Mary  Rainey.  Beniamia 
Rainey   was   a  minister   of   the  Christian   Church. 

Edwin  M.  Holt  worked  on  the  farm  in  the 
summer  and  attended  district  schools  during  the 
winter.  From  the  routine  of  farm  work  and  out- 
door life  he  developed  robust  health  and  the  ability 
to  work  steadily  at  tasks,  no  matter  how  difficult, 
until  they  were  finished.  From  the  neighboring 
schools  he  obtained  a  fair  English  education,  the 
ability  to  write  a  good  hand  and  to  keep  books  by 
the  simple  processes  of  that  time.  In  addition  to 
his  farm  work  he  spent  much  time  in  his  father 's 
shops  attached  to  the  farm,  developing  his  natu- 
rally fine  mechanical  talent,  which  had  been  char- 
acteristic of  the  Holts  for  several  generations. 

Much  of  his  success  in  life  was  due  to  the  gentle, 
patient,  energetic  and  cultured  woman  who  became 
his  wife,  and  for  that  reason  it  is  necessary  to 
mention  his  marriage  almost  at  the  beginning. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Emily  Farish,  descended 
from  the  Farish  and  Banks  families  of  Virginia 
and  daughter  of  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Chatham 
County,  North  Carolina.  They  were  married  Sep- 
tember 30,  1828.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Holt 
began  handling  a  small  farm  and  store  near  his 
father's  home,  and  that  was  his  modest  station  in 
life  until  1836. 

He  was  endowed  by  nature  as  well  as  by  train- 
ing in  the  qualities  of  a  fine  mind  to  become  a 
pioneer  in  a  new  and  broad  industry.  His  biog- 
rapher stat<"s  that  while  at  the  work  of  his  store 
and  farm  he  did  not  allow  the  happenings  and 
movements  of  the  outer  world  to  pass  unnoticed. 
He  was  a  deep  thinker,  a  logical  reasoner,  and  had 
the  ability  to  analyze  and  understand  what  he  saw 
in  the  p>olitical  and  economic  life  of  the  country 
and  nation.  The  fact  that  impressed  him  most  was 
that  the  cotton  mill  owner  of  England  and  of 
New  England,  the  merchant  of  London  and  of 
New  York  had  grown  rich  through  trade  in  a 
staple  which  was  raised  in  abundance  at  his  own 
door.  This  economic  inconsistency  of  the  pro- 
ducer not  realizing  to  the  full  the  advantages  of 
his  relation  with  the  product  has  appealed  to 
thousands  of  men  both  before  and  since  the  time 
of  Edwin  M.  Holt,  but  the  important  fact  with  him 
is  that  his  analysis  and  his  power  of  action  and 
resources  enabled  him  to  take  steps  to  overcome 
this  inconsistency  and  give  to  North  Carolina  cot- 
ton mills  of  its  own  that  would  rank  not  second 
to  those  of  Fall  River  and  Manchester.  The  story 
of  this  important  industrial  beginning  is  told  in 
the  words  of  one  of  his  sons.  Governor  Thomas  M. 
Holt: 

"About  the  year  1836  there  was  in  Greensboro, 
North  Carolina,  a  Mr.  Henry  Humphries  who  was 
engaged  in  running  a.  small  cotton  mill  at  that 
place  by  steam.  Following  the  natural  inclination 
of  his  mind  for  mechanical  pursuits,  my  father 
made  it  convenient  to  visit  Greensboro  often,  and 
as  often  as  he  went  there  he  always  made  it  his 
business  and  pleasure  to  call  on  Mr.  Humphries. 


HISTOEY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  two  soon  became  good  friemls.  Tlic  more  my 
father  saw  of  the  workings  of  Mr.  Humpliries' 
mill,  the  more  conTinced  he  became  that  his  own 
ideas  were  correct.  Some  time  about  the  .year  1836 
he  mentioned  the  matter  to  his  father,  Michael 
Holt,  hoping  that  the  latter  would  approve  of  his 
plans,  as  at  that  time  he  owned  a  grist  mill  on 
Great  Alamance  Creek  aljout  one  mile  from  liis 
home,  the  water  power  of  the  creek  being  sufficient 
to  run  both  the  grist  mill  and  a  small  cotton 
factory.  He  reasoned  that  if  his  father  would  join 
him  in  the  enterprise  and  erect  the  factory  on 
his  own  site  on  the  Alamance,  success  would  be 
assured.  But  his  father,  a  very  cautious  and  con- 
servative man,  bitterly  opposed  the  scheme  and 
did  all  that  he  could  to  dissuade  his  son  from 
embarking  in  the  enterprise.  Not  discouraged  by 
this  disappointment,  lie  next  proposed  to  his 
brother-in-law,  William  A.  Carrigan,  to  .join  him. 
The  latter  considered  tlie  matter  a  long  time,  not 
being  able  to  make  up  his  mind  as  to  what  he 
would  do.  Finally,  without  waiting  for  his 
brother-in-law's  answer,  he  went  to  Paterson,  New 
Jersey,  and  gave  tlie  order  for  tlie  machinery,  not 
then  knowing  where  lie  would  locate  his  mill.  On 
his  return  from  Paterson  he  stopped  at  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  met  the  late  Chief  Justice 
Thomas  Ruffin.  Judge  Euffin  at  tliat  time  owned 
a  waterpower  and  grist  mill  on  Haw  River,  the 
jjlace  now  being  known  as  Swepsonvillc,  and  he 
asked  my  father  where  he  exjiected  to  locate  his 
mill.  My  father  replied  that  he  wanted  to  put  it 
at  his  father's  mill  site  on  Alamance  Creek,  but 
that  the  old  gentleman  was  so  much  opposed  to  it 
that  he  might  not  allow  it.  Thereupon  Judge 
Euffin  said  that  he  did  not  wish  to  interfere  in  any 
way  witli  any  arrangements  between  him  and  his 
father,  but  if  the  latter  held  out  his  opposition  he 
would  l)e  glad  to  have  him  locate  his  mill  at  his 
site  on  Haw  River,  that  he  would  be  glad  to  form 
a  partnersliiji  with  him  if  he  wished  a  partner,  and 
that  if  he  did  not  wish  a  partner,  but  wanted  to 
borrow  mone.y  he  would  lend  him  as  much  as  he 
wanted.  When  my  father  returned  home  and  told 
his  father  of  the  conversation  with  Judge  Ruffin, 
a  man  in  whom  both  had  unbounded  confidence, 
and  he  saw  that  my  father  was  determined  to 
build  a  cotton  factory,  he  proposed  to  let  him 
have  Ms  water  power  on  Alamance  Creek  and  to 
become  his  partner  in  the  enterprise.  The  latter 
part  of  the  proposition  was  declined  on  account 
of  his  having  previousl.y  told  his  father  that  he 
would  not  involve  him  for  a  cent.  The  conversa- 
tion witli  .Judge  Ruffin  was  then  repeated  to  liis 
brotherin-law,  William  A.  Carrigan,  who  con- 
sented to  enter  into  the  partnership  and  join  in 
the  undertaking.  They  bought  the  water  power 
on  Great  Alamance  Creek  from  my  grandfather  at 
a  nominal  price,  put  up  the  necessary  buildings 
and  started  the  factory  during  the  panic  of  18.37. 
The  name  of  the  firm  was  Holt  &  Carrigan,  and 
they  continued  to  do  business  successfully  from 
the  start  under  this  name  until  1851.  About  this 
time  Mr.  Carrigan 's  wife  died,  leaving  five  sons. 
Two  of  them  had  just  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Nortli  Carolina,  and  concluding  to  go 
to  the  State  of  Arkansas,  their  father  decided  to 
go  with  them ;  so  he  sold  his  interest  in  the  busi- 
ness to  my  father.  In  the  year  1853  there  came  to 
the  mill  a  Frenchman  who  was  a  dyer.  He  pro- 
liosed  to  teach  father  how  to  color  cotton  yarn 
for  the  sum  of  a  hundred  dollars  and  his  board. 
Father  accepted  his  proposition  and   immediately 


set  to  work  with  such  appliances  as  they  could 
scrape  up.  There  was  an  eighty-gallon  copper 
boiler  whicli  my  grandfather  had  used  to  boil  pota- 
toes and  turnips  for  his  hogs,  and  a  large  cast- 
iron  wash  pot  wliich  happened  to  be  in  the  store 
on  sale  at  that  time.  With  these  implements  was 
done  the  first  dyeing  south  of  the  Potomac  River 
for  power  looms.  As  speedily  as  possible  a  dye 
liouse  was  built  and  the  necessary  utensils  for 
dyeing  acquired.  He  then  j>ut  in  some  four-box 
looms  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  the 
class  of  goods  then  and  now  known  as  'Alamance 
Plaids.'  I-'p  to  that  time  there  had  never  been  a 
yard  of  plaid  or  colored  cotton  goods  woven  on  a 
power  loom  south  of  the  Potomac  River.  When 
Holt  &  Carrigan  started  their  factory  they  liegan 
with  528  spindles.  A  few  years  later  sixteen  looms 
were  addeil.  In  1861  such  had  been  the  growth 
of  the  business  that  there  were  in  operation  1200 
spindles  and  96  looms,  and  to  run  these  and  the 
grist  mill  and  saw  mill  exhausted  all  tlie  power 
of  the  Great  Alamance  Creek  on  which  they  were 
located.  My  father  trained  all  of  his  sons  in  the 
manufacturing  business,  and  as  we  grew  up  we 
lirnnched  out  for  ourselves  and  built  other  mills. 
But  the  plaid  business  of  the  Holt  family  and,  I 
miglit  add,  of  the  South,  had  its  l)eginning  at 
this  little  mill  on  the  banks  of  the  Alamance  with 
its  little  copper  kettle  and  an  ordinary  wash  pot. 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  state  tliat  my  grandfather, 
Michael  Holt,  who  was  so  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
inauguration  of  tlie  enterprise  and  from  whom  my 
father  never  would  borrow  a  cent  or  permit  the 
endorsement  of  paper,  lived  to  see  and  rejoice  in 
the  success  of  the  enterprise.  The  mill  ran  twelve 
hours  a  day.  I  was  only  six  years  old  when  the 
mill  started,  and  well  do  I  remember  sitting  up 
with  my  mother  waiting  for  my  father  to  come 
home  at  night.  In  tlie  winter  time  the  mill  would 
stop  at  seven  o  'clock  P.  M.  and  thereafter  my 
father  would  remain  in  the  building  for  half  an 
hour  to  see  that  all  of  the  lamps  were  out  and 
that  the  stoves  were  in  such  a  condition  that  there 
would  tie  no  danger  of  fire,  and  then  he  would  ride 
one  mile  and  a  quarter  to  his  home.  In  the  morn- 
ing he  would  eat  his  breakfast  by  candle  light  and 
be  at  the  mill  at  six-thirty  o  'clock  to  start  the 
machinery  going.  He  kept  this  habit  up  for  many 
years. 

' '  I  attribute  the  success  which  has  crowned  the 
efforts  of  his  sons  in  the  manufacturing  of  cotton 
goods  to  the  earlj'  training  and  business  methods 
imparted  to  them  in  boyhood  by  their  father, 
Edwin  M.   Holt." 

Edwin  M.  Holt  not  only  founded  a  business  of 
much  promise  and  importance,  but  his  sagacity 
and  genius  guided  it  through  the  critical  period, 
and  he  trained  and  encouraged  his  sons  and  left 
to  them  the  responsibility  of  continuing  the  up- 
building and  the  maintenance  of  industries  which 
are  now  second  to  none  in  importance  in  the  state, 
and  which  have  grown  from  several  hundred 
spindles  and  a  few  looms  in  the  little  old  Alamance 
Mill  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  spindles  and 
thousands  of  looms  in  the  plants  operated  and  con- 
ducted by  the  Holts  alone.  Much  of  the  char- 
acter and  the  extent  of  the  Holt  interests  in  the 
cotton  mill  industry  of  North  Carolina  must  be 
reserved  for  telling  in  various  other  articles  de- 
voted to  Edwin  Holt's  sons  and  grandsons. 

Edwin  M.  Holt  was  not  favorable  to  the  seces- 
sion of  North  Carolina,  and  yet  when  the  war  be- 
came a  fact  he  furnished  three  sons  to  the  Con- 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


federate  army.  In  1866  he  retired  from  the  active 
management  of  tlie  Alamance  Mill  and  turned  it 
over  to  his  sons  James  H.,  William  E.,  L.  Banks, 
his  son-in-law  James  N.  Williamson,  and  reserved 
a  fifth  interest  for  his  younger  son,  Lawrence  S., 
xmtil  his  majority.  He  was  always  content  to 
perform  his  service  to  the  world  as  to  liis  family 
through  his  mills  and  his  industry.  The  only 
politic-al  ofSce  he  ever  accepted  was  that  of  asso- 
ciate judge  of  the  County  Court.  He  was  an  en- 
thusiastic advocate  of  internal  improvements. 
After  the  war,  when  the  state  treasury  was  ex- 
hausted, he  contrihuted  generously  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  North  Carolina  Railroad.  At  one 
time  he  loaned  the  road  $70,000  without  security 
in  order  to  pay  the  mechanics  in  the  shops.  He 
was  a  director  and  large  stockholder  in  the  road. 
He  was  associated  with  his  sons  in  establishing  tlie 
Commercial  National  Bank  of  Charlotte.  Edwin 
M.  Holt  was  a  type  of  the  old  fashioned  com- 
mercial integrity.  He  was  never  a  speculator,  and 
his  generous  fortune  grew  from  honest  and  legiti- 
mate effort  and  the  practice  of  commercial  virtues 
which  are  as  valid  today  as  they  have  been  in 
all  the  centuries  past.  Like  all  successful  men,  he 
had  some  business  principles  which  he  expressed 
through  maxims.  One  was  ' '  You  will  have  your 
good  years  and  your  bad  years;  stick  to  business." 
Another  was:  ''Put  your  profits  into  your  busi- 
ness. ' ' 

While  building  up  the  cotton  mill  industry  of 
North  Carolina  and  engaged  in  a  tremendous  task 
and  one  worthy  of  his  best  interests  and  power, 
it  is  said  that  his  chief  inspiration  for  all  his 
success  was  his  love  and  devotion  to  his  wife  and 
children.  He  and  his  wife  had  ten  children,  their 
names  being  in  order  of  birth:  Alfred  Augustus, 
Thomas  Michael,  James  Henry,  Alexander,  Frances 
Ann,  who  married  John  L.  Williamson,  William 
Edwin,  Lynn  Banks,  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  married 
James  N.  Williamson,  Emily  Virginia,  who  mar- 
ried J.  W.   White,  and   Lawrence  Shackleford. 

For  some  of  his  ideals  and  for  a  summing  up 
of  his  character  the  following  direct  quotations 
are  made: 

"His  ideas  were  patriarchal.  He  thought  fami- 
lies should  hold  together,  build  u]i  mutual  in- 
terests and  be  true  to  one  another.  Nor  was  this 
a  Utopian  dream  of  Edwin  M.  Holt.  It  was  a  con- 
viction Iporn  of  his  experience  and  observation  of 
human  life.  It  was  also  an  inheritance.  It  had 
been  the  idea  of  his  father,  Michael  Holt,  it  was 
the  idea  of  his  grandfather.  Captain  Michael  Holt. 
It  was  the  idea  of  his  maternal  ancestry,  the 
Eaineys.  If  he  had  not  been  strengthened  by  his 
•own  experience  and  observation,  tie  would  still 
have  probably  listened  to  the  teaching  of  his 
fathers.  He  liad  seen  members  of  families  going 
•out  in  divergent  directions  from  the  old  home- 
stead, the  title  to  estates  disappear  and  the  ties 
of  affection  weaken,  family  pride  lost  and  mutual 
aid  and  influence  impossible.  He  believed  '  in 
union  there  is  strength, '  hence  it  was  his  idea 
that  his  children  should  settle  around  him,  and 
that  they  should  do  so  in  honor  and  in  charge  of 
successful  business  enterprises. 

' '  Great  as  Edwin  M.  Holt 's  life  was  as  a 
pioneer  in  a  branch  of  our  state 's  material  de- 
velopment which  is  playing  so  important  a  part 
in  its  growth  and  prosperity  today,  he  was  greater 
as  a  man.  Back  of  the  power  to  plan  and  project 
successful  enterprises,  to  build  up  his  own  fortunes 
and  to  make  his  name  a  household  word  in  homes 


where  fathers  recount  the  great  deeds  of  great 
men  in  civic  life,  was  Edwin  M.  Holt,  the  man. 
He  was  modest,  unassiuning,  silent,  ofttimes  to  a 
remarkable  degree,  seeking  success  not  for  its  ovni 
sake,  but  for  his  children's  and  for  humanity's, 
turning  a  deaf  ear  to  appeals  from  admiring 
friends  and  neighbors  to  allow  his  name  to  go 
before  the  people  for  public  oflice.  But  there 
slumliered  the  irresistible  power  of  resolute,  moral 
manhood  behind  his  quiet  face;  and  he  would 
have  been  at  ease,  aye,  and  welcome,  in  the  society 
not  only  of  the  world's  greatest  men  in  busi- 
ness, but  also  in  politics  and  religion.  He  was  a 
lifedong  friend  of  Governor  John  M.  Morehead, 
Chief  Justice  Thomas  Ruffin,  Frank  and  Henry 
Fries,  the  Camerons,  and  others  of  the  state 's 
greatest  men  in  the  various  callings  of  life,  and 
was  easily  the  peer  of  any  of  them. 

"Edwin  M.  Holt  was  *  truly  unselfish  man.  A 
beautiful  loyalty  and  love  for  his  older  brother, 
William  Rainey  Holt,  marked  his  entire  life.  Ac- 
cording to  English  customs,  the  "family  pride  set- 
tled ill  the  eldest  son.  William  was  sent  to  Chapel 
Hill,  where  he  graduated  with  honor,  then  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  took  his  medical  degree 
in  the  greatest  school  on  the  continent  at  that 
time.  On  his  return  to  the  state  and  upon  his 
marriage,  he  was  given  some  of  the  most  choice 
and  valuable  property  belonging  to  the  estate. 
All  this  time  Edwin  was  working  on  the  farm 
faithfully,  contentedy,  and  feeling  an  exaltation  of 
spirit  in  his  brother  William  "s  success.  This  self- 
abnegation  of  spirit  and  loyalty  to  his  brother 
lasted  throughout  his  whole  life,  altered  neither 
by  distances  nor  circumstance.  They  often  saw 
tilings  differently;  William  was  a  great  and  bril- 
liant talker;  Edwin  was  a  great  listener.  William 
was  an  ardent  democrat  and .  secessionist ;  Edwin 
was  equally  as  strong  a  whig  and  a  Union  man. 
But  they  never  quarreled.  Edwin  only  listened  and 
smiled  or  his  face  gi-ew  grave,  and  the  hand  clasp 
that  followed  was  that  of  loving  brothers. 

' '  As  he  grew  older  benevolence  and  patience  and 
tenderness  for  children  and  love  of  humanity  de- 
veloped more  and  more  in  his  heart  and  life  and 
was  reflected  from  his  quiet  face.  Fortune  had 
smiled  on  the  struggles  of  his  hand  and  head  in 
his  youth  and  manhood,  and  when  age  approached 
he  accepted  its  infirmities  with  calm  resignation." 

James  Henky  Holt.  Of  that  historic  family 
of  Holts  that  supplied  much  of  the  original  genius, 
determination,  power  and  enthusiasm  to  the  up- 
building and  maintenance  of  the  cotton  industries 
of  North  Carolina,  one  whose  career  was  most 
fruitful  in  its  individual  achievements  and  also  in 
carrying  out  the  work  begun  by  his  honored  father, 
Edwin  M.  Holt,  founder  of  the  historic  Alamance 
Mills  at  Burlington,  was  James  Henry  Holt,  third 
son  of  Edwin  M.  and  Emily  (Farish)  Holt. 

He  was  born  at  the  old  Holt  home.stead  in 
Alamance  County  April  4,  1833,  and  died  at  his 
home  in  Burlington  February  13,  1897.  Besides 
the  advantages  of  the  local  schools  he  spent  a 
year  or  so  beginning  in  1848  as  a  student  in 
Dr.  Alexander  Wilson's  famous  preparatory  school. 
In  1850,  though  only  seventeen  years  of  age,  he 
entered  business  as  a  copartner  with  his  oldest 
brother,  Alfred  Holt,  and  this  firm  of  merchants 
built  and  occupied  a  house  which  is  still  standing 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  Court  House  Square 
at  Graham. 

In  1852,  though  still  under  age,  James  H.  Holt 
was   made   cashier   of   the  Bank   of   Alamance    at 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Graham.  This  position  supplied  him  his  chief 
duties  until  1862,  when  he  became  cashier  of  a 
bank  at  ThomasviUe. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  Mr.  Holt  resigned  his 
position  in  civil  life  to  volunteer  in  the  Confederate 
army.  He  was  assigned  to  the  Tenth  North 
Carolina  Artillery  and  stationed  at  Fort  Fisher 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  He  was  there 
until  late  in  the  year  1864,  when  Governor  Vance 
commissioned  him  captain  and  ordered  him  to 
report  at  Fayetteville,  to  become  commandant  of 
the  Military  Academy  there.  It  was  the  service 
of  this  commission  which  occupied  him  to  the  end 
of  the  war.  While  in  the  army  he  did  his  whole 
duty,  regardless  of  his  own  personal  preference 
in  the  matter.  On  being  ordered  to  Fayetteville 
his  colonel  spoke  of  the  fact  that  he  was  beiug 
taken  from  what  promised  soon  to  be  scenes  of 
excitement.  To  this  Mr.  Holt  replied :  ' '  Colonel, 
I  regret  to  leave,  but  you  know  I  have  always 
obeyed  orders. ' '  And  to  this  the  colonel  replied : 
' '  That  is  true,  Holt,  you  have  been  one  of  the  most 
dutiful  and  competent  soldiers  in  my  command." 

With  the  close  of  the  war  James  H.  Holt,  having 
returned  to  Alamance  County,  joined  with  his 
brothers  and  under  the  guidance  of  his  honored 
father,  Edwin  M.  Holt,  became  active  in  the 
management  of  the  old  Alamance  Cotton  Mills. 
James  H.  Holt  was  one  whose  initiative  and  energy 
did  so  much  to  expand  and  develop  the  interests 
of  the  Holt  family  as  cotton  manufacturers.  It 
was  largely  his  judgment  and  his  influence  with 
other  members  of  the  family  that  caused  the  Holts 
to  purchase  the  site  known  as  the  Carolina  Cotton 
Mills,  where  in  1867  the  construction  of  a  new 
plant  was  begun.  At  that  time  the  science  of  mill 
construction  as  measured  by  modern  attainments 
was  almost  unknown,  and  while  Major  J.  W. 
Wilson  made  the  survey  for  the  water  power,  it 
was  James  H.  Holt  who  gave  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  supervising  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  the  plant.  Later  this  became  one  of 
the  most  successful  mills  in  the  South  and  was  one 
of  the  foundation  stones  of  the  Holt  family  pros- 
perity. Mr.  Holt  managed  these  mills  until  his 
death  under  the  name  J.  H.  and  W.  E.  Holt  & 
Company.  The  mill  was  operated  without  any 
architectural  change  whatever  until  1904,  showing 
that  he  not  only  "builded  wisely  but  well." 

Just  above  the  Carolina  Mills  in  1879  Mr.  Holt 
and  his  brother  W.  E.  Holt  bought  the  mill  site 
and  built  the  Glencoe  Mills,  and  he  continued 
active  in  their  management  for  many  years.  It  is 
said  that  he  never  forgot  his  early  training  and 
fondness  for  the  banking  business,  and  until  the 
late  years  of  his  life  he  remained  a  director  and 
chairman  of  the  examining  board  of  the  Com- 
mercial National  Bank  of  Cliarlotte,  his  life  and 
services  contributing  much  to  the  splendid  success 
of  the  institution. 

Even  in  such  a  brief  outline  it  is  possible  to 
indicate  the  great  material  results  that  came  from 
his  genius  as  an  industrial  builder  and  manager, 
but  there  should  be  some  effort  to  recall  some  of 
the  dominant  traits  of  his  personal  character,  since 
it  was  character  with  him,  as  with  all  men,  that 
stands  Viehind  and  .above  material  achievement. 
One  who  knew  him  and  had  studied  his  career  many 
years  has  said :  ' '  Mr.  Holt  not  only  adopted 
honesty  as  a  policy,  but  to  him  it  was  a  very  basic 
principle,  never  to  be  swerved  from  even  by  so 
much  as  a  hair 's  breadth.  His  life  and  its  success 
in  the  business  world  is,  as  it  should  be,  a  sermon 
and  an  inspiration  not  only  to  his  sons,  but  to  all 


young  men,  on  honesty,  clean  living  and  right 
thinking.  Whatever  was  for  the  building  up  and 
development  of  his  state,  section  and  county,  that 
he  was  interested  in  and  to  that  he  lent  his  aid 
and  gave  counsel  and  support.  He  prospered,  and 
with  his  o-svn  he  brought  prosperity  to  others  and 
developed  the  resources  of  his  section.  Mr.  Holt 
had  that  charity  which  vaunteth  not  itself.  One 
who  has  lived  here  as  the  writer  has  for  many 
years,  among  the  people  with  whom  he  worked, 
hears  many  times,  from  grateful  recipients,  of  the 
charity  dispensed  by  this  good  man  that  would 
ne\er  have  been  known  save  for  this  telling  by 
those  who  received.  Mr.  Holt  himself  never  spoke 
of  these  acts,  and  so  far  as  a  sign  from  him  was 
concerned,  when  they  were  done,  they  were  for- 
gotten and  no  obligations  were  incurred.  One  of 
his  chief  outstanding  characteristics  was  his  uni- 
versal friendliness.  It  seemed  that  people,  and 
particularly  young  men,  instinctively  saw  in  him 
a  friend.     He  never  failed  them." 

Mr.  Holt  became  identified  early  in  life  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  Graham.  He  served  that 
church  as  an  elder  and  later  was  an  elder  and  an 
active  leader  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Burl- 
ington. Politically  he  was  a  democrat,  did  much 
to  hold  up  the  party  cause,  and  only  his  personal 
preferences  stood  in  the  way  of  his  selection  for 
some  of  the  higher  offices  of  community  and  state. 

On  January  15,  18.56,  Mr.  Holt  married  Laura 
Cameron  Moore,  of  Caswell  County.  They  led  an 
ideal  married  life  and  their  home  was  all  that  a 
home  should  be.  They  reared  the  following  chil- 
dren: Walter  L.  Holt,  Edwin  C.  Holt,  Samuel  M. 
Holt,  James  H.  Holt,  Robert  L.  Holt,  William  I. 
Holt,  Ernest  A.  Holt  and  Daisy  L.  Holt,  who  mar- 
ried Walter  G.  Green.  Comment  has  been  made 
upon  the  fact  of  Mr.  Holt's  wisdom  and  discretion 
in  choosing  to  a  large  degree  his  own  executors  by 
setting  up  his  sons  in  business  while  he  lived  to 
give  them  aid  and  counsel.  Thus  the  son  Walter 
L.  became  president  of  the  Holt-Morgan,  Holt- 
Williamson,  and  Lakewood  Mills;  E.  C.  Holt,  of 
the  Elmira  and  Delgado  Mills;  Samuel  M.  Holt 
was  connected  with  the  Lakeside  Mills;  James  H., 
Jr.,  with  the  Windsor  Mills;  Robert  L.,  with  the 
Glencoe  Mills;  W.  I.  Holt,  with  the  Lakeside  Mills; 
and  Ernest  A.,  with  the  Elmira  Mills. 

Edwin  Cameron  Holt.  No  small  share  of  the 
remarkable  genius  for  industrial  organization  and 
building  associated  with  the  Holt  family  in  gen- 
eral has  been  possessed  and  exemplified  by  Edwin 
Cameron  Holt,  who  is  a  grandson  of  the  pioneer 
cotton  mill  man,  Edwin  M.  Holt,  whose  record 
of  achievement  is  taken  care  of  on  other  pages, 
and  is  the  second  son  of  James  Henry  and  Laura 
(Cameron)  Holt,  a  sketch  elsewhere  being  given 
of  his  honored  father. 

Edwin  Cameron  Holt  was  born  at  Graham, 
North  Carolina,  May  11,  1861.  He  was  educated 
in  private  schools,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  entered 
the  Findley  High  School  at  Lenoir  in  Caldwell 
County,  and  in  1877  enrolled  as  a  student  in  Da- 
vidson College.  After  completing  his  junior  year 
he  left  college  on  account  of  ill  health  and  soon 
afterward  found  practical  employment  under  his 
father  in  the  Carolina  Cotton  Mills  near  Graham. 
His  father  was  a  very  forceful  and  practical 
business  man  and  possessed  imusual  wisdom  in 
dealing  with  his  sons.  One  of  his  characteristics 
was  exemplifying  the  principle  that  all  work  is 
honorable,  and  in  accordance  with  this  principle 
he   set   tasks   for   his   sons   at   hard   labor   in   the 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


9 


garden  and  at  the  mill,  and  Edwin  Holt  spent 
many  hours  and  days  in  occupations  which  some 
sons  of  wealthy  men  would  have  deemed  menial 
and  beneath  them. 

Having  served  his  apprenticeship  in  the  cotton 
mill  industry,  Edwin  C.  Holt  in  1887,  with  his 
brother  Walter  L.,  built  the  Elmira  Cotton  Mills 
in  Burlington.  This  was  a  successful  institution 
from  the  beginning,  and  the  brothers,  acting  npon 
advice  from  their  father,  reinvested  the  profits 
in  extensive  enlargements  and  additions.  In  1893 
these  two  brothers  built  the  Lakeside  Mills,  near 
the  Elmira  Mills.  In  189.5  they  built  the  Holt- 
Morgan  Mills  at  Fayetteville.  The  two  brothers 
were  very  close  partners  in  their  various  enter- 
prises and  in  the  course  of  years  built  up  indus- 
tries which  represented  working  capital  and 
surplus  of  over  $1,000,000. 

Until  1895  Edwin  C.  Holt  had  his  home  and  his 
chief  activities  in  his  native  county  of  Alamance. 
In  the  latter  year,  recognizing  the  gi'eat  natural 
advantages  at  Wilmington  in  the  matter  of  cheap 
raw  material  and  advantageous  freight  rates, 
Edwin  C.  Holt  built  the  Delgado  Mills  in  that 
city.  These  were  splendidly  equipped  and  added 
a  great  deal  to  the  industrial  prosperity  of  the 
city.  The  imjiortant  business  interests  of  Mr. 
Holt's  later  years  have  been  represented  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Delgado  Mills  at  Wilmington,  president 
of  the  Lakeside  Mills,  vice  president  and  manager 
of  the  Elmira  Mills,  vice  president  of  the  Holt- 
Morgan  Mills  at  Fayetteville,  director  of  the 
People's  S.avings  Bank  at  Wilmington,  director  of 
the  Commercial  National  Bank  at  Charlotte.  At 
the  death  of  his  father  he  was  made  chainnan  of 
the  examining  board  of  the  Commercial  National 
Bank  of  Charlotte. 

One  of  the  forces  which  have  actuated  and  im- 
pelled him  during  much  of  his  business  and  per- 
sonal career  has  been  an  ambition  to  l^e  worthy 
of  his  father  in  integrity  and  manliness,  and  this 
ambition  has  been  reflected  and  has  brought  results 
not  only  in  many  sturdy  enterprises,  but  in  a 
kindly  humanitarian  helpfulness  and  a  looking  out 
for  the  interests  and  welfare  of  the  hundreds  of 
individuals  and  families  who  get  their  living  from 
the  industries  controlled  and  directed  by  him. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Holt  served  as  captain  of 
the  Burlington  Lieht  Infantry.  He  is  a  Royal 
Arch  and  Knight  Templar  Mason,  and  a  member 
and  deacon  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Con- 
cerning his  persona]  character  for  trutlifulness 
and  fidelity,  a  biographer  once  told  the  following 
story  as  an  illustration:  "The  late  Governor 
Thomas  M.  Holt  on  one  occasion,  while  engaged  in 
the  consideration  of  a  serious  and  embarrassing 
business  problem,  tried  to  find  the  truth  of  a  cer- 
tain situation.  Some  one  remarked  that  Ed  Holt 
said  that  a  certain  fact  was  true;  the  governor 
spoke  with  an  expression  of  evident  relief:  "That 
settles  the  question ;  if  Ed  Holt  says  it  is  so,  it  is 
true. ' ' 

He  has  had  a  congenial  home  life.  April  19, 
189.'!,  he  married  Dolores  Delgado  Stevens,  daugh- 
ter of  Bishop  Peter  Faysoux  Stevens,  of  Charles- 
ton. South  Carolina,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
Bishop  William  Capers,  of  South  Carolina.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Dolores  Stevens  Holt. 

James  Henry  Holt,  of  Burlington,  is  one  of 
the  grandsons  of  Edwin  M.  Holt,  ami  has  been 
true  to  the  traditions  and  the  ideals  of  the  family 
and  has  kept  his  own  career  closely  identified 
with  the  gi-eat  cotton  mill  industry. 


He  was  born  in  Davidson  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, October  27,  1864,  a  son  of  James  Henry  and 
Laura  Cameron  (Moore)  Holt.  His  father  was 
long  distinguished  as  a  cotton  mill  man  and  also 
a  banker.  The  son  was  liberally  educated,  attend- 
ing high  school  at  Lenoir,  Lynch  's  School  at  High 
Point,  North  Carolina,  Horner's  Military  School, 
and  the  University  of  North  Carolina.  He  served 
his  apprenticeship  as  a  cotton  manufacturer  at 
Glencoe  Mills  and  is  now  vice-president  of  that 
industry,  one  of  the  largest  comprised  within  the 
Holt  interests.  In  1890  he  built  the  Windsor  Cot- 
ton Mills  at  Burlington.  For  years  he  has  been 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Elmira  mills  and 
is  now  vice  president,  is  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Lakeside  mills,  is  president  of  the  Alamance 
Loan  and  Trust  Bank  and  has  other  business 
interests  too  numerous  to  mention. 

Mr.  Holt  has  always  been  deeply  interested  in 
military  matters.  His  service  was  witli  the  Third 
Eegiment,  North  Carolina  National  Guard.  He 
was  lieutenant,  later  captain,  of  Company  F,  and 
during  the  Spanish-American  war  lie  undertook 
to  raise  a  company  for  one  of  the  state  volunteer 
regiments,  but  found  the  quota  filled,  and  while 
he  thus  did  not  have  the  satisfaction  of  leading 
a  company  in  that  brief  war,  he  gladly  turned 
over  his  recruits  to  another  reg^iment.  During 
the  administration  of  Governor  Carr  he  served  on 
the  governor's  staff  as  aid  de  camp  with  the 
rank  of  colonel.  Mr.  Holt  is  a  vestryman  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  at  Burlington.  February  27, 
1901,  he  married  Olive  Joyner,  daughter  of  Charles 
G.  and  Sarah  (Parish)  Joyner,  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland.  Her  family  is  a  prominent  one  of  Balti- 
more and  her  father  was  a  wholesale  merchant 
there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holt  have  one  child,  Mar- 
garet Elizabeth. 

Robert  Lacy  Holt,  of  Burlington,  hardly  needs 
any  identification  as  one  of  the  prominent  figures 
in  the  cotton  mill  industry  of  North  Carolina,  but 
it  is  appropriate  to  indicate  his  relationship  to  the 
family  in  general  by  saying  that  he  is  fourth  son 
of  the  late  James  Henry  Holt  of  Burlington,  who 
in  turn  was  one  of  the  sons  of  Edwin  M.  Holt, 
founder  of  the  historic  Alamance  Cotton  Mills  and 
one  of  the  greatest  figures  in  the  industrial  life  of 
the  South. 

Robert  Lacy  Holt  was  born  at  Thomasville  in 
Davidson  County,  North  Carolina,  January  7,  1867. 
He  received  his  early  advantages  at  Graham,  at- 
tended Horner's  School  at  Oxford,  and  from  there 
entered  the  State  University.  At  the  end  of  two 
years  his  eagerness  to  enter  the  business  world 
made  him  dissatisfied  with  the  quiet  routine  of 
university  life,  and,  returning  home,  was  permitted 
by  his  father  to  enter  the  office  of  the  Glencoe 
Cotton  Mills,  of  which  his  father  was  then  man- 
ager. His  father  was  keenly  interested  in  his 
developing  talents  and  gave  him  every  opportunity 
to  assume  larger  responsibilities  and  he  very  soon 
put  him  in  as  general  manager  of  the  Carolina 
Cotton  Mills,  and  with  that  institution  he  laid 
the  basis  of  his  wonderful  success  as  a  cotton  man- 
ufacturer. 

For  many  years  he  was  closely  associated  with 
his  brother  J.  H.  Holt,  Jr.  In  1890  they  built  the 
Windsor  Cotton  Mills  at  Burlington,  and  for  many 
years  these  were  operated  by  R.  L.  and  J.  H. 
Holt,  Jr.  Robert  L.  Holt  in  the  meantime  gave 
much  of  his  attention  to  the  duties  as  active  man- 
ager of  the  Glencoe  Cotton  Mills,  and  at  the  death 
of  his  father  was  put  in  active  charge  and  had  the 


10 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


entire  management  of  the  Glencoe,  Alamance,  Caro- 
lina and  Elmira  Cotton  Mills.  AH  of  these  mills 
prospered  and  improved,  but  in  1902,  having  ae- 
qxiired  the  majority  of  stock  in  the  Glencoe  Mills, 
he  resigned  his  management  of  other  mills  to  give 
all  his  time  to  the  Glencoe  property.  Those  mills 
have  since  more  than  doubled  in  size  and  capacity, 
and  are  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  complete 
and  efficient  cotton  mills  of  the  state. 

The  secret  of  his  success  as  a  cotton  mill  execu- 
tive is  found  in  the  words  of  a  biographer,  who 
says:  "Mr.  Holt  is  a  good  exemplification  of  the 
maxim,  '  absolute  accurate  knowledge  is  power. ' 
He  knows  the  cotton  business,  not  with  an  un- 
certain, wavering  kind  of  knowledge,  but  abso- 
lutely. He  has  made  it  a  special  study,  and  the 
writer  has  been  frequently  struck,  when  hearing 
the  figures  of  cotton  production,  acreage,  and  the 
like  under  discussion,  to  see  the  absokite  accuracy 
of  Mr.  Holt 's  knowledge.  With  this  accurate  in- 
formation always  at  his  command,  and  with  the 
training  that  has  come  from  his  years  in  the  cotton 
Ijusiness,  it  is  no  wonder  he  succeeds.  It  would 
be  the  wonder  were  it  otherwise. ' ' 

While  so  much  of  his  time  in  recent  years  has 
been  given  to  the  management  of  the  Glencoe  Cot- 
ton Mills,  Mr.  Holt  has  also  been  a  director  of  the 
Alamance  Loan  and  Trust  Company,  the  largest 
bank  in  the  county,  in  the  Elmira  and  Lakeside 
Cotton  Mills,  and  is  president  of  the  Home  Insur- 
ance Company  of  Greensboro.  Public  ofBce  has 
never  been  of  his  seeking,  though  he  has  reudered 
splendid  service  to  the  cause  of  the  democratic 
party.  Only  once  did  he  aijpear  as  a  factor  in 
practical  politics,  in  1904,  when  he  went  as  a  dele- 
gate from  his  district  to  the  national  convention. 
In  a  public  way  he  has  served  as  a  director  of  the 
Western  Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Morganton 
and  chairman  of  the  Highway  Commission  of  Ala- 
mance County,  but  through  the  prosperous  and 
wise  management  of  large  business  interests  has 
Tjeen  contributing  his  biggest  and  best  service  to 
state  and  community. 

Even  his  recreations  represent  a  degree  of  pro- 
ductiveness which  many  men  would  regard  as  a 
successful  independent  business.  Mr.  Holt  has 
for  many  years  been  one  of  the  largest  land  owners 
in  Alamance  County,  and  the  lands  constituting 
his  farm  have  been  conducted  on  a  scale  that  is  at 
once  business  like  and  a  source  of  example  and 
encouragement  to  the  general  agricultural  and 
stock  husbandry  interests  of  the  state.  His  farms 
around  Glencoe  Mills  have  been  stocked  with 
blooded  hogs,  sheep  and  cattle,  and  he  developed  a 
Iierd  of  registered  Devons  probably  unexcelled  in 
the  state.  Mr.  Holt 's  country  home,  at  which 
many  of  his  friends  have  had  delightful  enter- 
tainment, is  widely  known  as  ' '  Fort  Snug. ' '  He 
has  always  been  a  lover  of  fine  horses,  and  has 
owned  some  animals  that  have  made  more  than 
local  records  on  the  lace  course.  Of  the  dealings 
with  his  fellow  men  some  one  has  said  that,  like 
'his  honorable  father,  he  "  is  a  man  to  whom  others 
instinctively  turn  in  a  time  of  trouble,  certain  that 
they  will  find  in  him  a  friend.  He  does  charity, 
but  one  must  learn  of  it  from  the  outspoken 
gratitude  of  the  recipients,  because  in  this,  again 
like  his  father,  he  is  secret,  gaining  his  reward 
from  his  personal  knowledge  of  the  good  done. ' ' 

Lynn  Banks  Holt  is  one  of  the  oldest  surviv- 
ing members  of  a  family  that  might  with  eminent 
fitness  be   regarded   as   the  cornerstone   of   Xorth 


Carolina's  greatness  and  prosperity  as  a  cotton 
manufacturing  state.  He  is  sixth  among  the  sons 
of  Edwin  M.  Holt,  founder  of  the  old  Alamance 
Cotton  Mill  at  Burlington.  The  history  of  other 
memljers   of   the   family   is   told  elsewhere. 

Lynn  Banks  Holt  was  born  near  Graham  in 
Alamance  County  June  28,  1842.  His  life  ahnost 
to  the  age  of  nineteen  was  spent  without  special 
incident  and  alternating  between  a  home  of  solid 
comfort  and  the  advantages  of  some  of  the  best 
schools  of  North  Carolina.  He  attended  Prof. 
Alexander  Wilson 's  School  at  Hawfield  and  in 
1859  entered  the  Military  Academy  near  Hillsboro 
conducted  by  Col.  C.  C.  Tew.  While  these  institu- 
tions gave  him  a  thorough  discipline  of  mind  he 
was  getting  the  equivalent  of  what  is  in  modern 
times  known  as  vocational  training  by  work 
under  his  father 's  eye  in  the  cotton  mill.  From 
the  roaitine  and  studies  of  Hillsboro  Miltary 
Academy  he  responded  to  the  tocsin  of  war  at 
the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  and  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  the  Orange  Guards.  His  experi- 
ence in  drill  resulted  in  his  appointment  as  drill 
master  in  a  company  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Fisher.  He  was  with  that 
regiment  in  Virginia  until  after  the  battle  of 
Manassas.  October  20,  1861,  he  was  appointed 
second  lieutenant  in  Company  I,  Eighth  Regi- 
ment, North  Carolina  State  Troops,  commanded  by 
Colonel  Shaw.  From  that  time  forward  lie  was  a 
member  of  Clingman  's  famous  brigade,  and  later 
was  made  first  lieutenant  of  his  company.  He  was 
in  the  battle  of  Roanoke  Island,  was  stationed  at 
Charleston  during  the  spring  and  summer  of  1863, 
and  is  one  of  the  last  survivors  of  that  famous 
defense  of  Battery  Wagner.  Later  he  was  with 
liis  regiment  in  the  capture  of  Plymouth,  in  the 
battle  of  Drury  's  Bluff,  which  saved  Richmond 
from  the  army  of  Butler,  and  was  with  Hoke  at 
Cold  Harbor.  After  Cold  Harbor,  when  General 
Grant  changed  his  plan  of  attack  and  launched  his 
blow  against  Petersburg,  Lieutenant  Holt  was  one 
of  the  defenders  wlio  turned  aside  that  blow,  and 
in  the  battle  of  that  day  he  was  wounded  in  the 
face  and  has  ever  since  carried  the  scar.  On 
September  29,  1864,  he  again  commanded  his  com- 
pany in  the  assault  on  Fort  Harrison.  The  histor- 
ian of  Clingman  's  Brigade  states  that  about  a 
third  of  those  in  the  charge  were  either  killed 
or  wounded.  ' '  Among  the  wounded  and  captured 
were  Capt.  William  H.  S.  Burgwyn  and  First 
Lieut.  L.  Banks  Holt,  commanding  Company  I, 
Eighth  Regiment.  Lieutenant  Holt  was  shot 
through  the  thigh  and  the  bone  fractured,  entail- 
ing a  long  and  painful  recovery.  He  was  con- 
fined at  Fort  Delaware  jirison  until  released  in 
June,  I860."  It  thus  fell  to  his  lot  to  lead  his 
company  in  one  of  the  most  terrific  assaults  of 
the  entire  war,  but  that  was  only  the  crowning 
achievement  of  a  record  filled  with  constant  hero- 
ism and  fidelity  to  the  cause  which  he  loved  and 
for  which  he  sacrificed  so  much. 

.June  16,  1865,  on  being  released  from  Fort 
Delaware,  he  set  out  for  home  and  undismayed  by 
the  general  devastation  that  met  his  eyes  and 
that  presented  a  picture  of  almost  complete 
economic  overthrow  throughout  the  South,  he  ac- 
cepted the  inevitable  and  went  to  work  in  the  old 
Alamance  cotton  mills  under  his  father.  More 
than  half  a  century  has  passed  since  then  and 
every  one  of  those  fifty  years  has  its  story  of 
achievement,  industrial  advancement  and  new  and 
large  contributions  to  the  fame  of  the  Holt  family 
and  to  the  prosperity  of  tlie  South  in  general. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


11 


Mr.  L.  Banks  Holt  has  been  one  of  the  most 
prominent  among  the  various  Holts  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  cotton  mills  and  other  industries  of  North 
Carolina.  Individually  he  has  been  owner,  director 
or  stockholder  in  a  number  of  cotton  miUs,  and  is 
sole  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  Oneida  Mills  at 
Graham,  one  of  the  largest  individual  cotton  mills 
in  the  South,  is  owner  of  the  Bellemont  Cotton 
Mills  at  Graham,  the  Carolina  Cotton  Mills  and 
the  Alamance  Cotton  Mills.  All  these  mills  are 
now  incorporated  under  the  name  of  L.  Banks 
Holt  Manufacturing  Company.  The  ownership 
of  the  Alamance  Mills  involves  a  great  sentimen- 
tal value,  since  it  is  in  effect  the  parent  of  all 
the  cotton  mills  of  the  Holt  family  and  almost 
of  the  cotton  mill  industry  of  the  state. 

Among  other  important  business  interests  that 
have  taken  his  time  and  ability  in  recent  years, 
Mr.  Holt  is  president  of  the  E.  M.  Holt  Plaid 
Mills  of  Burlington ;  a  stockholder  in  the  Mineola 
Cotton  Mills  at  Giljsonrille,  and  the  Morehead 
Cotton  Mills,  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Commercial 
Bank  of  Cliarlotte  and  a  stockhohler  in  the  Bank 
of  ^\Jamance  in  his  home  town.  He  is  alsS)  a  stock- 
holder in  the  North  Carolina  Railway  Company. 

For  years  Mr.  Holt  has  been  an  elder  and  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Cliurch  at 
Graham.  He  is  a  sincere  Cliristian  and  has  ex- 
em|ilified  his  faith  by  practical  devotion  to  the 
welfare  of  humanity  and  by  a  full  sense  of  stew- 
ardship as  the  owner  and  proprietor  of  a  large 
individual  estate.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat, 
but  public  life  has  had  no  attractions  for  him 
and  he  has  done  his  part  to  the  state  and  nation 
through  the  activities  of  the  various  industries 
which  he  has  managed  so  fruitfully  and  well. 

Mr.  Holt  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the 
graded  schools  at  Graham,  his  home  town,  and 
started  the  library  fund  with  a  donation  of  $1,000 
in  conjunction  with  the  school. 

October  26,  186.5,  soon  after  his  return  home 
from  the  war,  Mr.  Holt  married  Miss  Mary  C. 
Mebane.  Her  father  was  Hon.  Giles  Mebane  of 
Caswell.  To  their  marriage  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren,  five    of   whom  lived   to   middle    age. 

L.\WRENCE  Sn.\CKLEFORD  HoLT.  With  North 
Carolina  the  home  of  more  cotton  mills  and  in- 
dustries than  any  other  state  in  the  Union,  there 
is  every  valid  reason  why  a  large  number  of  the 
prominent  business  men  mentioned  in  these  pages 
are  owners,  managers,  and  department  officials  of 
this  industry.  In  the  case  of  Lawrence  Shackle- 
ford  Holt,  of  Burlington,  it  is  not  sufficient  to 
refer  to  him  indiscriminatingly  as  a  highly  suc- 
cessful cotton  mill  owner.  His  relation  to  this 
primary  industry  of  North  Carolina  is  a  more  im- 
portant one  than  as  a  director  and  operator  of 
mills  and  all  the  resources  and  personnel  that 
go  with  them. 

Mr.  Holt  has  apparently  been  guided  by  unusual- 
ly high  ideals  and  a  powerful  and  fundamental 
sense  of  stewardship,  so  that  his  attitude  has  not 
been  strictly  regulated  in  the  rigid  caste  of  the 
owner  and  employer.  He  has  for  years  recognized 
the  vital  interest  that  the  workers  have  in  in- 
dustry and  that  the  mill  owner  has  higher  inter- 
ests than  merely  to  see  that  the  processes  of  his 
industry  are  mechanically  perfect  and  efficient,  and 
that  with  the  payment  of  standard  wages  the  par- 
ticipation of  the  employer  in  the  life  and  welfare 
of  his  employes  ceases. 

Por  all  his  other  varied  interests  and  material 
achievements    the    distinction    which    means    most 


among  the  people  at  large  and  which  will  be  long- 
est associated  with  Mr.  Holt  is  that  he  was  the 
first  maniifacturer  iu  the  South  voluntarily  to 
shorten  the  hours  of  labor.  The  first  step  he  took 
in  this  direction  was  iu  1886,  and  the  second  in 
1902.  The  particular  facts  in  the  matter  are  told 
in  a  sketch  which  was  written  of  Mr.  Holt  several 
years  ago,  as  follows :  ' '  He  was  the  first  person 
in  tlie  South  to  pay  the  wages  of  his  employes  in 
cash.  This  system  was  inaugurated  by  him  short- 
Iv  after  he  started  the  Bellemont  Mills  and  was 
soon  after  adopted  by  other  mills,  which  had  up  to 
that  time  paid  off  in  barter  and  store  accounts. 
He  was  the  first  manufacturer  in  the  South  to 
''orten  tlie  hours  of  labor  from  twelve  to  eleven 
hours  a  day,  and  this  schedule,  inaugurated  at  the 
Aurora  Mills  on  September  6,  1886,  was  soon  after 
adopted  by  other  mills.  In  1902  the  Aurora  Mills 
made  a  further  reduction  of  from  eleven  to  ten 
hours  a  day,  and  it  was  the  first  of  the  mills  of 
the  South  to  inaugurate  this  schedule.  Thus  it 
may  be  said  that  Mr.  Holt  was  twice  first  in  re- 
ducing the  hours  of  labor  of  the  thousands  of 
cotton  mill   operatives   in   the   South." 

In  his  career  he  has  justified  an->old  fashioned 
phrase  of  being  the  great  son  of  a  great  father. 
The  originator  of  so  much  that  has  been  distinc- 
tive in  the  cotton  mill  industry  of  the  South, 
and  tlie  founder  of  tlie  famous  old  Alamance  Mill 
at  Burlington  was  his  honored  father,  Edwin  M. 
Holt,  whose  career  and  achievements  are  repre- 
sented elsewhere  in  these  pages. 

Lawrence  Chackleford  Holt  was  the  youngest 
son  of  Edwin  M.  and  Emily  (Parish)  Holt,  and 
was  born  at  the  old  homestead  of  his  father 
at  Locust  Grove  in  Alamance  County,  May  17, 
18.51.  His  early  training  and  education  was  re- 
ceived in  a  celebrated  school  conducted  by  Alex- 
ander Wilson  at  Melville  in  Alamance  County,  and 
afterwards  in  the  Horner  Military  School  at  Ox- 
ford under  Professor  J.  H.  Horner  .and  one  year 
in  Davidson  College.  It  was  the  earnest  wish  of 
his  father  that  he  would  complete  a  college  career, 
but  his  eagerness  to  get  into  business  life  caused 
him  to  leave  school  in  1869  and  go  to  Charlotte  and 
take  the  management  of  a  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness owned  by  his  father.  While  at  Charlotte, 
recognizing  the  needs  of  the  city  for  increased 
banking  facilities,  he  brought  about  in  1874,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  father  and  brothers,  the  or- 
."■nnization  of  the  Commercial  National  Bank  of 
Charlotte.  The  majority  of  the  capital  stock  of 
this  well  known  institution  has  always  been  held 
by  the  Holt  family.  It  is  a  bank  that  has  long 
stood  first  on  the  honor  roll  of  national  banks 
in  Notth  Carolina,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $.500,- 
000  and  a  surplus  of  more  than  $2.50,000. 
Lawrence  S.  Holt  was  a  director  in  this  bank 
for  many  years,  though  his  other  interests  finally 
made  it  necessary  to  resign  any  part  or  role  as  an 
active  director. 

In  1873  he  received  from  his  father  a  fifth  in- 
terest in  the  Alamance  and  the  Carolina  Cotton 
mills,  and  from  that  time  forward  he  was  actively 
identified  with  the  cotton  mill  industry.  He  assist- 
ed in  managing  and  operating  the  Alamance  aJid 
Carolina  Cotton  Mills  until  1879.  Then,  with  his 
brother,  L.  Banks  Holt,  he  built  the  Bellemont 
Cotton  Mills  at  Bellemont,  located  accessible  to  a 
water  power  on  the  Alamance  River  about  two 
miles  south  of  the  old  Alamance  Mills.  This  was 
his  first  individual  undertaking  of  importance  in 
the   cotton   mill   industry.     He   displayed  at   that 


12 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


time  much  of  the  broad  ability  which  has  ever 
sinc-e  characterized  him,  and  was  his  own  archi- 
tect, engineer  and  contractor  at  the  erection  of 
the  mills,  which  was  successful  from  the  very 
start.  He  finally  sold  his  interests  to  his  brother 
L.  Banks  Holt. 

In  188.S  he  organized  and  built  the  E.  M.  Holt 
Plaid  Mills  at  Burlington,  and  cau.sed  these  mills 
to  lie  named  in  honor  of  his  father.  He  was 
president  of  the  company  and  had  as  active  man- 
ager of  the  mills  for  many  years  his  brother-in- 
law,  William  A.  Erwin,  who  accjuired  much  of  that 
training  and  ex]3prience  which  has  since  made  him 
eminent  in  the  cotton  mill  industry  of  the  South 
while  with  the  Holt  Plaid  Mills. 

In  1884  Mr.  Holt  with  his  brother  L.  Banks 
Holt  and  his  brother-in-law,  John  Q.  Gant  bought 
the  Altamaliaw  Cotton  Mills  on  Haw  River,  about 
six  miles  north  of  Elon  College.  This  small  plant 
was  greatly  enlarged  and  for  many  years  has  been 
a  highly  efficient  and  profitable  mill,  now  con- 
ducted ijy  the  Holt,  Gant  &  Holt  Cotton  Manufac- 
turing Company.  In  1885  Mr.  Holt  bought  the 
Lafayette  Cotton  Mills  at  Burlington,  then  a  bank- 
rupt institution,  and  he  changed  them  to  the 
Aurora  Cotton  Mills  and  put  them  in  the  front 
rank  of  cotton  mills  of  the  state,  their  special 
fame  over  the  dry  goods  field  being  due  to  the  cel- 
ebrated Aurora  plaids. 

On  October  1,  189fi,  Mr.  Holt  admitted  to  part- 
nership, with  him  his  two  oldest  sons,  Erwin  Allen 
and  Eugene,  while  on  October  1,  190.5,  his  young- 
est son,  Lawrence  S.,  Jr.,  also  became  a  partner. 
These  sons  were  brought  into  the  active  manage- 
ment of  Mr.  Holt 's  various  cotton  mill  interests, 
and  through  them  he  was  gradually  able  to  retire 
from  the  heavier  responsibilities  of  executive  di- 
rection. The  firm  thus  established  was  Lawrence 
S.  Holt  &  Sons.  In  1905  this  company  bought 
the  Hiawatha  Cotton  Mills  at  Gibsonville,  North 
Carolina,  and  after  extensive  changes  and  new 
ecpiinment  in  the  plant  the  name  was  changed  to 
the  Gem  Cotton  Mills.  Mr.  Holt  still  remains  as 
senior  member  of  the  Lawrence  S.  Holt  &  Son,  but 
more  and  move  in  passing  years  has  shifted  the 
burden  of  active  management  of  affairs  to  his 
sons  and  the  leisure  thus  created  has  been  used 
by  him  to  attend  to  many  private  interests,  in 
indulgence  in  philanthropy  and  especially  in  ex- 
tended travel.  He  and  his  family  have  been  all 
over  North  America  and  have  toured  Europe  and 
Oriental  countries  several  times.  Mr.  Holt  is  one 
of  the  incorporators  and  a  director  of  the  Durham 
&  Soutliern  Railway  Company,  was  for  a  number  of 
years  a  director  and  active  in  financial  atfairs  of 
the  North  Carolina  Railway  Company,  and  is  in- 
terested in  a  numlier  of  the  leading  indu.stries  of 
the  state  besides  those  specifically  mentioned. 

A  character  portrait  of  Mr.  Holt  was  drawn  by 
a  eomnetent  biographer  a  few  years  ago  in  the 
following  words: 

"Lawrence  S.  Holt  is  a  distinct  personality. 
There  is  an  impression  given  to  the  observer  of 
mental  and  physical  vigor  and  strength.  He  is  a 
positive  character,  active,  alert  and  progressive. 
His  whole  being  is  vibrant  with  dominant  energy, 
sound  judgment  and  splendid  business  acumen. 
He  has  a  genius  for  doing  well  and  promptly  all 
that  he  undertakes,  is  exact,  systematic  and  far- 
seeing,  and  every  enterprise  planned  by  him  has 
without  exception  been  successful.  Like  his  father, 
he  has  a  keen  sense  of  humor  and  greatly  enjoys 
a  good  anecdote.     Painstaking  and  unsparing  of 


his  strength  and  intellect,  he  exjiects  from  all 
others  tlie  same  unswerving  attention  and  devo- 
tion to  duty  which  is  present  in  him  to  such  a 
great  extent.  While  exacting,  he  is  not  a  hard 
taskmaster,  because  he  never  believes  in  doing  any- 
thing which  is  unnecessary.  He  has  often  said 
tliat  'the  groans  of  creation  are  enough  without 
adding  t/i  them. '  He  has  always  abhorred  waste, 
destruction,  idleness  and  improvidence,  and  en- 
couraged and  commended  thrift,  economy  and  good 
management.  He  believes  in  keeping  everything 
up  to  the  highest  possible  degree  of  efficiency 
and  has  accomplished  this  as  much  by  his  own 
example  as  by  his  splendid  management,  for  per- 
sons associated  with  him  who  did  not  properly 
take  advantage  of  their  opportunities  or  realize 
their  responsibilities  were  soon  made  to  feel 
asliamed  by  the  example  set  before  them  in  their 
liead.  He  is  an  ideally  devoted  husband  and  father, 
never  sparing  himself  fatigue  or  hardship  that  he 
might  lavish  on  those  he  loves  the  best  that  life 
can  atford.  As  a  loyal  and  generous  son  of  the 
church  hg  has  given  without  ostentation  or  pub- 
iicity  freely  and  cheerfully  to  the  support  of  her 
various  institutions.  Any  one  really  deserving 
could  always  rely  upon  him  as  a  friend  who  would 
advise  them  wisely  and  without  prejudice,  and  the 
number  of  persons  to  whom  he  has  lent  financial 
aid  is  legion.  He  has  a  profound  reverence  and 
respect  for  both  of  his  parents,  to  whom  he  refers 
as  the  most  wonderful  couple  he  ever  knew. ' ' 

Mr.  Holt  has  always  frankly  given  credit  to  the 
devotion,  sympathy,  help  and  good  example  of 
his  wife  as  a  source  of  constant  help  and  inspira- 
tion to  him  at  all  times.  Mrs.  Holt  before  her 
marriage  was  Margaret  Locke  Erwin.  They  were 
married  April  2,  1872.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Col.  Joseph  J.  and  Elvira  (Holt)  Erwin,  of  Belle- 
\'ue,  near  Morganton,  North  Carolina.  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Holt  became  a  member  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church,  and  was  chiefly  instru- 
mental in  the  erection  and  subsequent  mainte- 
nance of  St.  Athanasins  Church  at  Burlington,  of 
which  he  was  for  years  a  vestryman. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holt 's  oldest  daughter,  Emily 
Farish,  died  in  1882,  at  the  age  of  five  and  a  half 
years.  The  six  living  children  are  Erwin  Allen, 
Eugene,  Margaret  Erwin,  Florence  E.  Lawrence 
S.,  Jr.,  and  Bertha  Harper.  Concerning  his  sons 
and  their  successful  positions  in  life  more  partic- 
ular reference  is  made  on  other  pages. 

Erwin  Allen  Holt,  son  of  Lawrence  and  Mar- 
garet Locke  Erwin  Holt,  was  born  near  Morganton 
in  Burke  County,  North  Carolina,  November  11, 
187.3.  He  was  educated  in  private  schools  and  the 
Episcopal  High  School  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  in 
the  Franklin  School  at  Washington,  District  of 
Columbia,  and  in  the  Raveneroft  School  of  Ashe- 
ville.  North  Carolina.  He  grew  up  in  the  atmos- 
]ihere  of  cotton  mills  and  as  member  of  a  family 
with  a  particular  mission  in  the  cotton  mill  in- 
dustry of  the  South.  He  recognized  his  vocations 
and  the  opportunities  presented  him  by  his  father, 
who  as  the  sons  came  to  majority  prepared  places 
for  them  in  his  business.  He  entered  business 
September  12,  1892,  in  the  office  of  the  E.  M.  Holt 
Plaid  Mill.  Burlington,  North  Carolina.  On  Octo- 
ber 1,  189fi,  Erwin  A.  Holt  was  admitted  to  part- 
nership in  the  firm  of  Lawrence  S.  Holt  &  Sons  and 
had  already  gained  considerable  practical  experi- 
ence in  the  family  business  in  the  Aurora  Cotton 
Mills.     As  member  of  this  firm  he  has  had  a  part 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


13 


in  the  management  of  its  various  interests,  includ- 
ing the  Gem  Cotton  Mills  of  Gibsonville,  North 
Carolina,  also  interested  in  the  Sevier  Cotton  Mills 
at  Kings  Mountain,  the  Holt,  Gant  &  Holt  Cotton 
Manufacturing  Company  at  Altamahaw,  and  is  a 
director  in  tliese  various  industries. 

Mr.  Holt  is  an  Episcopalian  and  of  the  broadest 
type  and  has  been  a  vestryman  since  1S92  and 
senior  warden  since  1901.  On  June  16,  1903,  he 
married  Mary  Warren  Davis,  of  Ealeigh.  Mr. 
Holt  is  an  amateur  student  of  history  and  has  done 
much  to  encourage  interest  in  some  of  those  scenes 
and  events  which  in  North  Carolina  have  not  re- 
ceived the  appreciation  they  deserve.  He  has  been 
especially  interested  in  what  is  called  by  some 
"the  first  battle  of  the  Revolution,"  otherwise 
known  as  the  battle  of  Alamance,  fought  near  Bur- 
lington, North  Carolina,  May  16,  1771,  between 
the  Regulators  or  Carolina  Patriots  and  an  over- 
whelming force  of  British  under  the  command  of 
Governor  Tryon. 

Mr.  Holt  is  an  independent  and  state  democrat, 
but  always  a  stanch  supporter  of  Roosevelt,  and 
especially  in  1912,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
National  Convention  in  Chicago  in  1916  which 
nominated  Roosevelt.  When  Roosevelt  declined 
Mr.  Holt  turned  his  support  to  Wilson. 

Eugene  Holt  was  born  in  Alamance  County 
at  the  residence  of  his  grandfather,  Edwin  M. 
Holt,  on  August  31,  187.5.  He  is  the  son  of 
Lawrence  S.  and  Margaret  Locke  (Erwin)  Holt. 
He  was  educated  under  private  tutors,  in  schools 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  Episcopal  High  School 
near  Alexandria,  Virginia,'  and  Ravencroft  High 
School,    Asheville,    North    Carolina. 

On  July  1,  1893,  he  went  to  work  under  his 
father  and  on  October  1,  1896,  was  admitted  to 
partnership  in  the  firm  of  Lawrence  S.  Holt 
&  Sons.  He  has  been  active  in  the  management 
of  this  firm,  who  owns  the  Aurora  Cotton  Mills, 
Burlington,  North  Carolina,  and  Gem  Cotton 
Mills,  Gibsonville,  North  Carolina,  He  is  also 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Sevier  Cotton 
Mills  Company,  Kings  Mountain,  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Holt  has  been  identified  with  the  building 
up  of  Burlington,  his  home  town,  ami  his  county, 
having  served  as  alderman,  member  of  various 
commissions,  and  school  board  trustees.  He  is 
a  member   of  the  Episcopal   Church. 

On  Qptober  25,  1895,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Edna  Barnes,  daughter  of  Lemuel  Franklin  and 
Annie  (Ball)  Barnes,  of  Richmond,  Virginia. 
They  have  one  child,  Anne  Erwin  Holt. 

Lawrence  Schackleford  Holt,  Jr.,  youngest 
son  of  the  eminent  North  Carolinian  whose  name 
he  bears,  was  born  at  Burlington,  North  Carolina, 
November  19,  1883.  Carefully  reared  and  edu- 
cated, he  attended  public  schools,  Horner's  Mili- 
tary Institute,  and  graduated  from  the  University 
of  North  Carolina  with  the  class  of  1904.  Turn- 
ing his  mind  to  the  serious  work  of  life,  he  was 
employed  as  clerk  in  his  father's  cotton  manufac- 
turing business,  and  on  October  1,  1905,  was  ad- 
mitted to  a  partnership  in  the  firm  of  Lawrence  S. 
Holt  &  Sons,  an  organization  in  which  he  has 
since  borne  a  share  of  executive  responsibilities. 
He  is  a  director  of  the  Aurora  Cotton  Mills  and 
the  Gem  Cotton  Mills,  is  president  of  the  Sevier 
Cotton  Mills  at  Kings  Mountain,  vice  president  of 
the  Holt.  Gant  &  Holt  Cotton  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany at  Altamahaw,  and  is  a  director  of  the  Erwin 


Yarn  Agency,  Incorporated,  at  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
sylvania. From  March,  1911,  to  December  1,  1913, 
Mr.  Holt  was  a  resident  of  Norfolk,  Virginia, 
living  in  that  city  in  order  the  better  to  attend 
to  his  duties  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Union  Cotton  Bagging  Corporation.  Since  1913 
he  has  resumed  his  residence  at  Burlington. 

December  5,  1905,  he  married  Elizabeth  S.  Bill, 
of  Spencer,  Virginia.  She  died  March  4,  1909. 
On  April  2,  1913,  he  married  Elizabeth  Lacy 
Chambers,   of   Charlotte,  North   Carolina. 

James  Nathaniel  Williamson.  A  busy  and 
fruitful  life  has  been  that  of  James  Nathaniel 
Williamson,  who  when  little  more  than  a  boy  bore 
arms  bravely  and  faithfully  as  a  soldier  and  oflBcer 
in  the  Confederate  army,  after  the  war  took  up 
cotton  manufacture,  was  associated  with  some  of 
the  most  prominent  cotton  mill  men  in  the  state, 
and  also  combined  therewith  extensive  interests 
as  a  mercliant  and  farmer.  His  home  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  mature  years  has  been  at 
Graham  in  Alamance  County. 

He  was  born  at  Locust  Hill  in  Caswell  County, 
North  Carolina,  March  6,  1842.  His  father, 
Thomas  Williamson,  owned  several  large  planta- 
tions and  conducted  a  store.  He  never  held  any 
public  office  beyond  that  of  magistrate  of  his 
county,  but  by  his  business  integrity  and  private 
virtues  lie  became  a  man  widely  known  and  well 
deserving  of  the  admiration  and  veneration  paid 
him  by  his  famOy  and  friends.  He  was  an  in- 
timate friend  of  such  eminent  men  as  Chief  Justice 
Ruffin,  Hon.  Calvin  Graves  and  Hon.  Bedford 
Brown.  A  source  of  inspiration  to  .lames  Na- 
thaniel Williamson  in  his  career  was  a  desire  to 
emulate  his  father,  concerning  whom  he  came  to 
know  largely  through  his  mother  and  his  father's 
friends,  since  he  was  a  boy  of  only  six  when 
his   father  died. 

His  early  career  and  edm'ation  were  largely 
directed  by  his  mother,  who  possessed  many  at- 
tainments, both  intellectually  and  spiritually.  Her 
maiden  name  w'as  Frances  Panel  Banks  Farish. 
She  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  related  to 
the  Banks  and  Farish  families  of  Virginia.  Her 
mother,  Frances  Banks,  was  a  sister  of  Hon.  Lynn 
Banks,  who  for  five  years  was  speaker  of  the 
House  of  Delegates  in  Virginia  and  then  .served 
his  state  in  Congress  from  1838  until  his  death 
in  1842. 

James  Nathaniel  Williamson  owed  more  than 
he  could  ever  calculate  to  the  influence  and  teach- 
ing's of  his  mother.  He  found  it  a  pleasure  as 
well  as  a  duty  to  assist  her  in  the  work  of  the 
home  and  farm.  His  father  had  expressly  desired 
that  his  son  should  be  thoroughly  educated  and 
that  met  exactly  with  the  ambition  and  plans  of 
the  mother.  James  N.  Williamson  was  ,a  jnipil 
in  the  preparatory  school  conducted  by  Dr.  Alex- 
ander Wilson  in  Alamance  County.  That  was  one 
of  the  best  institutions  in  the  state  at  the  time. 
Doctor  Wilson  's  report  of  young  Williamson  was : 
' '  He  is  among  the  best  in  his  classes. ' '  From  the 
preparatory    school    he    entered    Davidson    College. 

On  May  13,  1861,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  Mr. 
Williamson  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  A 
of  the  Third  Regiment,  North  Carolina  Volunteers. 
This  was  the  first  company  raised  in  Caswell 
County.  The  colonel  of  the  regiment  was  W.  D. 
Pender,  whose  bravery  and  efficiency  as  a  soldier 
and  officer  brought  him  eventually  to  rank  as  a 
major  general  in  the  Confederate  army.     After  a 


14 


HISTOKY  OF  XOKTH  CAROLINA 


time  the  Third  Eegiment  was  assigned  as  the 
Thirteenth  Begiment,  and  for  a  considerable  part 
of  its  service  was  in  Pender 's  Brigade.  James  K. 
Williamson  was  a  soldier  four  years,  sharing  all 
the  hardships  of  his  comrades  in  his  company  of 
this  regiment.  He  participated  in  nearly  all  the 
great  battles  wliich  made  the  names  of  Jackson 
and  Lee  famous  in  the  annals  of  warfare.  He 
was  promoted  to  lieutenant  in  September,  1862, 
and  at  ChancellorsvUle  was  wounded  on  the  second 
day.  He  was  also  wounded  at  Gettysburg  and  at 
the  Wilderness,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
latter  battle  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant.  He  was  with  Lee  in  the  trenches  about 
Petersburg,  and  was  captain  of  his  company  when 
paroled  at  Appomattox. 

The  family  fortunes  had  suffered  grievously  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  war,  and  when  the  veteran 
soldier  returned  home  there  was  no  thought  to  be 
taken  of  further  schooling  and  he  courageously 
faced  the  necessity  of  strenuous  work  in  rehabili- 
tating the  old  farm.  This  old  plantation  in  Cas- 
well County  represented  little  more  than  the  bare 
land  at  the  close  of  the  war.  For  about  two 
years  after  returning,  home  Captain  Williamson 
employed  himself  with  the  greatest  of  zeal  and 
industry  to  farming.  In  the  meantime  he  married, 
and  at  the  suggestion  of  his  wife's  father,  E.  M. 
Holt,  Mr.  Williamson  became  a  partner  with  the 
five  sons  of  Mr.  Holt  in  conducting  the  Alamance 
Cotton  Mills  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  M.  Holt 's 
Sons.  Mr.  Williamson  had  already  considered  the 
possibilities  of  a  career  as  a  manufacturer,  and  he 
readUy  accepted  what  seemed  and  proved  to  be 
an  excellent  opportunity  to  become  associated  with 
men  of  experience  and  such  high  standing  as  the 
Holts. 

In  1867  he  removed  to  Alamance  County,  and 
while  supervising  his  farming  operations  in  Cas- 
well County  took  up  his  new  duties  as  a  partner 
in  the  firm.  The  Alamance  Cotton  Mills  continued 
to  grow  and  prosper  and  the  business  was  after- 
wards extended  by  the  construction  of  the  Caro- 
lina Cotton  Mills  on  the  Haw  Eiver  near  Graham. 
These  mills  when  finished  were  put  under  the 
management  of  the  Holt  Brothers  and  Mr.  Wil- 
liamson. For  fifteen  years  these  men  shared  the 
responsibilities  of  the  management  and  conducted 
the  mills  under  the  name  J.  H.  and  W.  E.  Holt 
&  Company.  From  the  time  the  Carolina  Cotton 
Mills  were  put  in  operation  Mr.  Williamson  had 
his  home  at  the  Town  of  Graham. 

Subsequently  he  built  the  Ossipee  Cotton  Mills 
in  Alamance  County,  and  managed  and  operated 
them  under  the  firm  name  of  James  N.  Williamson 
&  Sons.  Eventually  his  sons  William  H.  and  James 
K".  assumed  the  burdens  of  active  management  of 
the  institution.  Soon  after  the  construction  of 
the  Ossipee  Mills,  Mr.  Williamson  and  his  son 
William  H.,  under  the  name  James  N.  and  Wil- 
liam H.  Williamson  erected  the  Pilot  Cotton  Mills 
at  Ealeigh,  and  this  son  has  had  the  active  man- 
agement of  the  mills  from  the  beginning. 

Thus  the  name  James  N.  Williamson  has  become 
widely  known  throughout  the  State  of  North  Caro- 
lina among  cotton  mill  owners  and  manufacturers, 
and  he  came  to  a  notable  position  in  an  industrv 
which  has  employed  the  resources  and  abilities 
of  many  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  state  and  of  a 
large  part  of  the  working  population.  It  has  been 
through  the  wise  and  efficient  and  careful  adminis- 
tration of  his  affairs  that  he  has  rendered  real 
service  to  the  public  and  through  his  business  he 


has  benefited  the  state  and  the  community  by 
much  of  that  public  spirit  and  earnestness  which 
some  other  men  devote  to  formal  public  affairs 
and  public  office.  Mr.  Williamson  never  eared  to- 
hold  public  office. 

On  September  5,  1865,  James  X.  Williamson 
married  Mary  E.  Holt,  daughter  of  Edwin  M. 
Holt  of  Alamance  County.  They  became  the 
parents  of  the  following  children:  William  Holt, 
who  married  Sadie  Tucker,  daughter  of  Maj.  R.  S. 
Tucker  of  Ealeigh:  Ada  V.,  who  died  in  1898, 
the  wife  of  O.  H.  Foster,  of  Ealeigh:  James  N., 
Jr.,  elsewhere  referred  to:  and  Mary  Blaneli,  wife- 
of  J.  Harrison  Spencer,  of  Martinsville,  Virginia. 

James  N.  Williamson,  Jr.,  son  of  James  Na- 
thaniel Williamson,  the  old  soldier  and  cotton 
manufacturer  whose  career  has  been  reviewed  on 
other  pages,  has  successfully  developed  those  pri- 
mary interests  and  opportunities  which  were 
afforded  him  by  his  father  as  a  successful  cotton 
mill  man,  and  for  years  has  been  one  of  the  busi- 
ness builders  and  upholders  of  prosperity  in  Ala- 
mance County. 

He  was  born  at  Graham,  Alamance  County,  Jan- 
uary 28,  1872.  Other  pages  supply  detailed  in- 
formation concerning  his  family  and  ancestry.  H& 
owed  much  both  to  inheritance  and  training  ac- 
quired from  his  parents.  Like  many  boys,  he  had 
a  practical  turn  of  mind  and  took  naturally  to  the 
mechanics  and  the  technical  processes  of  cotton 
manufacture,  his  father 's  cotton  mills  furnishing 
a  splendid  environment  for  the  development  of  his 
intelligence  and  his  intellectual  curiosity.  While 
reared  in  one  of  the  substantial  and  even  wealthy 
families,  luxurious  ease  was  no  part  of  his  youth- 
ful habits  and  practices.  He  found  plenty  to 
Aq  and  was  constantly  inspired  Ijy  his  energy  and 
talent  and  ambition  to  accomplish  something  worth 
while.  Like  his  father,  he  was  fond  of  outdoor 
sports  and  has  always  been  a  lover  of  and  a 
good  judge  of  horses. 

His  father  and  mother  sought  for  him  the  very 
best  of  educational  opportunities.  When  he  was 
twelve  years  old  he  entered  Pantops  Academy  near 
Charlottesville,  Virginia,  where  he  remained  a  stu- 
dent sevei'al  years  and  made  himself  popular 
among  his  associates  and  teachers  as  well  as  mak- 
ing a  good  record  for  scholarship.  One  important 
source  of  his  disciplined  mind  was  the  Bingham- 
Military  School,  then  located  at  Mebane,  where 
his  formal  literary  studies  were  combined  with 
military  regulations  and  training.  From  the  Bing- 
ham School  he  entered  the  L'niversity  of  North 
Carolina,  but  did  not  remain  t-o  graduate,  coming 
out  of  university  to  take  his  work  in  the  prac- 
tical industry  of  cotton  manufacture. 

In  1894  he  went  to  work  under  his  father  at  the 
Ossipee  Mills.  Three  years  later  he  was  admitted 
to  the  firm  of  James  N.  Williamson  &  Sons.  He 
soon  became  secretary  and  treasurer  and  general' 
manager  of  the  Ossipee  Mills.  In  all  the  processes 
surrounding  cotton  manufacturing,  from  the  de- 
tailed technique  of  the  mills  to  the  larger  prob- 
lems connected  with  industrial  management.  Mr. 
Williamson  has  for  a  mimber  of  years  been  a 
recognized  master,  authority  and  expert. 

Soon  after  the  PUot  Mills  were  erected  at 
Ealeigh  he  bought  from  his  father  a  fourth  in- 
terest in  the  mills  and  became  vice  president  of 
them  and  also  president  of  the  Hopedale  Mills  at 
Burlington.  A  number  of  years  he  has  also  been 
director  of  the  Alamance   Loan   and   Trust  Com- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


15 


paiiy  at  Burliugton  and  of  the  American  Trust 
Company  of   Cliarlotte. 

The  career  of  such  an  active  and  public  spirited 
business  man  as  Mr.  Williamson  is  a  source  of 
benefit  and  service  to  the  public  even  though  not 
an  item  could  be  recorded  of  participation  in 
politics  or  the  holding  of  a  single  office.  He  has 
done  mucli  to  advance  those  matters  in  Alamance 
County  Tvliieh  bring  tangible  results  of  good  and 
benefit  to  all  classes  of  citizens.  He  has  been 
especially  identified  with  the  good  roads  movement 
in  his  home  county  and  throughout  the  state.  In 
politics  he  is  independent  and  non-partisan,  and 
that  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  regards  as 
the  greatest  presidents  of  the  la.st  lialf  century 
Grover  Cleveland  and  Theodore  Roosevelt.  The 
Williamsini  family  for  generations  have  been  ac- 
tive Presbyterians  and  Mr.  Williamson  himself  was 
reared  in  that  faith.  But  his  wife  was  aji  Epis- 
copalian, and  in  order  that  one  faith  might  govern 
the  household  he  united  with  that  church  and  has 
given  much  time  to  church  and  its  affairs  and 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  vestry  in  the  Bur- 
lington Church. 

Business  aside,  Mr.  Williamson's  first  and  last 
thought  is  his  home  and  f.amily.  He  lias  enjoyed 
an  ideal  home  life.  November  9,  1898,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Archer  Saunders,  daughter  of  a  wealthy 
and  influential  citizen  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  the 
late  E.  A.  Saunders.  Mr.  and  Mrs..  Williamson 
have  three  children,  James  Saunders  Williamson, 
Mary  Archer  WOliamson  and  Edwin  Holt  Wil- 
liamson. 

Ce:asar  Cone.  When  North  Carolina  erects 
its  Pantheon  of  great  men — and  great  women, 
too — somewhere  among  the  founders  of  the  com- 
monwealth, the  warriors  and  statesmen,  jurists 
and  law  makers,  agriculturists,  business  men  and 
manufacturers,  a  special  place  of  dignity  will  be 
apportioned  to  the  late  Ceasar  Cone,  cotton  mer- 
chant and  manufacturer  of  national  and  inter- 
national   fame. 

When  Ceasar  Cone  died  on  March  1,  1917,  the 
importance  of  the  man  himself,  his  place  in  the 
business  world,  and  his  position  in  the  affairs  of 
the  country  were  all  so  important  that  the  Asso- 
ciated Press  dispatches  bore  the  news  of  his 
death  to  the  great  daily  papers  in  all  the  cities 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  report  quickly 
spread  beyond  the  confines  of  this  country.  In 
a  comparatively  brief  life  he  had  established  his 
name,  his  firm's  name,  the  names  of  his  mills, 
and  the  reputation  of  his  product  beyond  all  local 
limits    or    limitations. 

It  was  because  of  this  high  national  standing 
that  the  Wool  and  Cotton  Reporter,  the  nation 
journal  devoted  to  the  textile  industries  of 
America,  published  a  special  issue  containing  an 
appreciation  of  Mr.  Cone's  career  and  character 
and  a  description  of  the  monumental  industries 
which  he  had  built  up  in  and  axound  Greens- 
boro. It  is  from  the  columns  of  this  journal 
that  most  of  the  facts  here  noted  are  obtained. 

There  are  many  great  names  in  cotton  manu- 
facturing. These  include  family  names  that  have 
become  so  firmly  established  in  the  textile  trade 
that  cities  are  similarly  named.  There  has  never 
been  a  family  that  has  become  more  prominent 
in  the  production  of  cotton  goods,  the  financing 
of  cotton  mills,  and  the  distribution  of  the  textile 
mill  products  than  has  that  of  Cone.  Ceasar 
Cone's    co-worker    for    a    great    many   years    was 


his  older  brother,  Moses  Cone,  and  the  names  of 
these  two  brothers  will  always  be  linked  together. 
Everyone  with  a  knowledge  of  the  industry  im- 
mediately thinks  ckf  Ceasar  Cone  as  equally  great 
in  finance,  manufacture  and  merchandising,  and 
because  of  his  pre-eminence  in  these  several 
branches  he  towered  above  or  as  the  equal  of 
any  individual  name  that  adorns  the  annals  of 
cotton   manufacturing. 

Ceasar  Cone  was  born  April  22,  18.59,  at  .Jones- 
boro,  Tennessee,  and  was  not  yet  fifty-eight  years 
of  age  when  he  died  at  his  home  in  Greensboro. 
His  father,  Herman  Cone,  came  from  Bavaria, 
Germany,  to  America  in  1845,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen.  He  began  his  life  here  with  only  fifty 
cents  in  capital.  In  1870  he  removed  his  family 
to  Baltimore  and  estalilished  a  wholesale  grocery 
business,  which  in  1878  became  the  firm  of  H. 
Cone  &  Sons.  Herman  Cone  married  Helen  Gug- 
genhcimer,  who  was  also  from  Bavaria.  Many 
of  her  fine  traits  of  character  were  inherited  by 
Ceasar  Cone. 

Ceasar  Cone  attended  the  public  schools  of  Bal- 
timore to  the  age  of  foi'rteen.  That  completed  his 
education.  He  then  went  to  work  with  a  Balti- 
more firm  of  stationers.  It  is  said  that  he  never 
ileparted  from  the  methods  and  precepts  incul- 
cated during  his  tender  years.  The  paternal  les- 
son was  rigid  honesty,  rigid  economy,  and  rigid 
observance  of  every  obligation.  The  life  of 
Ceasar  Cone  was  a  complete  exemplification  of 
these  principles.  He  represented  a  family  of  suc- 
cessful men  and  women.  Besides  his  older 
brother,  Moses,  he  was  survived  by  four  brothers 
at  Greensboro,  Sol,  Julius  W.,  Bernard  M.  and 
Clarence  N.,  and  by  two  other  brothers  at  Balti- 
more, Dr.  Sidney  M.  and  Fred  W.  His  three 
sisters  were:  Dr.  Claribel  Cone  and  Miss  Etta 
Cone,  of  Baltimore,  and  Mrs.  M.  D.  Long,  of 
Ashe^•ille.  North  Carolina. 

In  1890  the  old  and  successful  firm  of  H. 
Cone  &  Sons,  wholesale  grocers  of  Baltimore,  was 
dissolved.  Both  Moses  and  Ceasar  Cone  had  been 
members  of  the  firm.  Through  its  connections 
they  had  obtained  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
conditions  and  resources  of  the  South.  Planning 
to  develop  these  resources,  they  organized  the 
Cone  Export  and  Commission  Company  for  the 
handling  of  cotton  goods.  This  put  them  in  close 
touch  with  the  cotton  mills,  and  finally  brought 
them  into  the  manufacturing  field.  As  manu- 
facturers they  began  vrith  a  small  mill  of  only 
a  few  looms.  Removing  to  Greensboro,  the  Cone 
brothers  acquired  several  hundred  acres  of  land 
adjoining  the  corporate  limits  and  there  in  1895- 
96  erected  the  mills  of  the  Proximity  Manufac- 
turing Company.  The  dominant  ideal  in  the 
organization  of  the  company  was  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  class  of  goods  not  made  in  the  South 
prior  to  1896.  Starting  vrith  240  looms,  in  less 
than  ten  years  the  company  enlarged  its  capital 
stock  and  built  another  mammoth  plant  known 
a'  the  Whit^  Oak  Mill,  which  is  the  largest  cot- 
ton mill  in  the  South  and  the  largest  denim 
manufacturing  plant  in  the  world.  The  Proxim- 
ity and  White  Oak  mills  contain  3,600  looms  and 
employ  2,500  people.  Mr.  Ceasar  Cone  was 
actively  associated  with  his  brother,  Moses,  in 
the  establishment  of  the  White  Oak,  Proximity 
and  Revolution  cotton  mills.  At  the  death  of 
Moses  Cone  the  business  burdens  of  the  Cone 
Export  and  Commission  Company  fell  upon  the 
shoulders    of    the   younger    brother,    and    when    he 


16 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


in  turn  answered  the  call  of  death,  the  great 
Cone  industries  were  left  to  the  administrative 
skill  and  experience  of  his  brothers,  Bernard  and 
Julius,   and   his    oldest    son,    Herman    Cone. 

Estimating  his  place  in  southern  cotton  manu- 
facturing, a  writer  m  the  Wool  and  Cotton  Be- 
porter  said:  "  Ceasar  Cone  was  the  largest  denim 
manufacturer  in  tJie  world.  It  has  been  currently 
reported  that  one-third  of  all  the  denims  of  the 
world  are  manufactured  in  the  Wliite  Oak,  Prox- 
imity and  Revolution  Mills  at  Greensboro.  .  .  . 
Ceasar  Cone  was  a  salesman,  a  merchant.  Per- 
haps his  greatest  work  was  not  his  manufactur- 
ing plants,  extensive  though  they  were,  but  his 
merchandising  projects.  The  Cone  Export  and 
Commission  Company  has  been  of  great  value 
not  only  to  southern  mills  but  to  the  industry 
as  a  whole.  A  considerable  number  of  cotton 
mills  not  owned  and  not  controlled  by  the  Cone 
family  merchandise  their  goods  through  the  Cone 
commission  house.  To  a  very  large  extent,  the 
outside  mills  who  sell  through  this  commission 
house  depended  upon  the  Cone  Export  and  Com- 
mission Company  for  many  years,  and  upon 
Ceasar  Cone  himself  to  a  very  great  extent,  not 
only  for  the  distribution  of  their  products  but 
for  the  financing  of  their  mills,  for  the  money 
with  which  raw  materials  were  purchased,  for 
the  money  that  met  the  pay  roll  on  every  pay 
day.  No  commission  house  has  ever  attained  a 
higher  reputation  than  this  one,  not  only  in  the 
trade  and  with  its  competitors  but  with  the  finan- 
cial authorities  of  downtown  New  York.  And 
the  policy  of  the  Cone  Commission  House  was 
the  policy  of  Ceasar  Cone.  Its  merchandising 
activities  and  ability,  its  fuianeial  guidance,  its 
ethics,  all   rested  upon  him. ' ' 

The  late  Ceasar  Cone  expressed  the  best  ele- 
ments of  his  life  and  character  in  his  devotion 
to  his  great  mills  at  Greensboro  and  to  the  gen- 
eral civic  welfare  of  that  community.  He  served 
as  president  of  the  Greensboro  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, president  of  the  American  Cotton  Manu- 
facturers Association,  and  he  and  his  family 
were  identified  with  practically  every  large  wel- 
fare movement  in  the  city.  His  brother,  Moses 
Cone,  gave  a  large  portion  of  his  estate  to  build 
a  hospital  at  Greensboro.  One  of  the  last  acts 
of  Ceasar  Cone  was  offering  a  large  sum  to  be 
used  for  the  proposed  Guilford  County  Tubercu- 
losis  Sanitarium. 

Many  writers  have  commented  upon  the  exten- 
sive welfare  program  planned  and  carried  out  in 
the  mill  villages  of  the  great  Cone  Mills.  The 
proper  point  of  view  in  regarding  the  material 
and  social  conditions  prevaUing  in  these  mill  vil- 
lages is  not  how  far  they  measure  up  to  the  most 
ideal  theoretical  standard,  but  how  far  they 
bring  the  inhabitants  above  the  plane  of  exist- 
ence in  moral  and  physical  comforts  which  the 
people  had  enjoyed  before  they  became  factors 
in  the  mill  communities.  It  has  been  pomtea 
out  and  is  a  well-known  fact  that  most  of  th^ 
manufacturing  centers  of  the  South  are  recruited 
from  the  poor  and  backward  hill  sections,  where 
the  people  representing  an  undiluted  strain  of 
Anglo-Saxon  stock  have  lived  for  generations  out 
of  touch  with  modern  schools,  religious  privileges, 
and  most  of  those  comforts  and  attractions 
which  go  to  make  up  the  wholesomeness  of  Amer- 
ican life. 

A  writer  describing  the  welfare  work  of  the 
Cone    mill    villages    says:      "The    manufacturers 


with  whom  C<?asar  Cone  was  always  a  leader  fur- 
nished the  place  to  work  and  a  fair  profit  in 
wages,  furnished  comfortable  homes  in  which 
the  operatives  lived,  supplied  the  schools  in 
which  the  children  are  educated,  saw  to  it  that 
the  school  teachers  were  efficient,  supplied  the 
churches  and  preachers  according  to  the  religious 
trend  of  the  mill  workers,  furnished  the  mill  hos- 
pital so  that  the  mill  village  doctors  could  sat- 
isfactorily take  care  of  the  health  of  the  workers' 
families.  In  fact,  these  manufacturers  have 
made  it  a  part  of  their  business  to  insure  more 
than  a  living  to  the  men  and  women  who  are 
working  with  them.  The  Cone  mills  at  Greens- 
boro are  not  typical  of  the  industry — they  are 
larger  and  better  and  more  profitable  than  the 
average.  The  mill  villages  and  the  advantages 
of  mill  village  life  at  Greensboro  are  not  typical 
of  the  textile  manufacturing  industry.  The  cot- 
tages are  better  than  the  average;  so  are  the 
educational  and  health  and  living  conditions.  In 
the  villages  at  the  Proximity  and  White  Oak  and 
Eevolution  cotton  mills  there  are  perhajis  8,000 
or  9,000  people  who  are  whoUy  dependent  upon 
the  past  and  present  and  future  work  in  these 
Cone  mills  for  their  livelihood,  the  education  of 
their  children,  for  the  savings  that  will  take  care 
of  them  in  their  declining  years — in  fact,  for  all, 
their  financial,   social  and  religious  advantages. ' ' 

One  of  Ceasar  Cone 's  last  public  appearances 
was  as  one  of  the  principal  speakers  on  the  pro- 
gram of  the  St.  Louis  convention  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Garment  Manufacturers  in 
the  fall  of  1916.  A  more  concise  description  of 
his  high  standing  in  the  textile  industries  it  would 
be  difficult  to  imagine  that  the  brief  sentences  the 
president  of  the  convention  used  in  introducing 
Mr.  Cone.  He  said :  "  It  is  my  privilege  and  great 
pleasure  to  introduce  to  you  a  gentleman  known 
■personally  to  many  of  you  and  by  reputation  to 
all  of  us.  This  gentleman  stands  so  highly  in 
his  profession  that  he  speaks  with  that  authority 
that  one  who  knows  always  commands.  Long 
years  of  fair  dealing  and  fair  play  have  made  this 
gentleman  dear  to  many  of  us.  I  may  say  that 
all  of  us  stand  ready  at  all  times  to  render  unto 
Ceasar  that  which  is  Ceasar 's.  It  is  with  pleasure 
that  I  introduce  Mr.  Ceasar  Cone  of  America. ' ' 

In  1894  Mr.  Cone  married  Miss  Jeanette  Siegel, 
a  lady  of  rare  gifts  and  attainments,  who  survives 
him.  They  had  three  sons:  Herman,  Benjamin 
and  Ceasar  Cone. 

Moses  H.  Cone.  The  career  of  the  late  Moses 
H.  Cone  was  so  intimately  associated  with  that 
of  his  brother  Ceasar  Cone  in  the  building  and 
operation  of  the  great  mills  around  Greensboro 
that  no  special  comment  on  his  business  achieve- 
ments is  required  to  supplement  what  is  said  in 
the  sketch  of  his  brother  published  elsewhere.  The 
following  paragraph  is  a  brief  recital  of  the  main 
facts  of  his  personal  history. 

He  was  born  at  Jonesboro.  Tennessee,  son  of 
Herman  and  Helen  (Guggenheimer)  Cone,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Bavaria.  He  was  one 
of  thirteen  children  and  acquired  a  fair  education 
in  his  youth,  and  was  identified  with  his  father 
in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  at  Baltimore  for 
a  number  of  years.  In  1890  he  was  the  primary 
factor  in  organizing  the  Cone  Export  and  Commis- 
sion Company,  which  made  contracts  with  many 
of  the  largest  cotton  mills  in  the  South  to  handle 
their    products.      In    1895    Moses    Cone    and    his 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


17 


brother  Ceasar  bought  large  tracts  of  land  adja- 
cent to  Greensboro  and  successively  erected  the 
Proximity,  Revolution  and  White  Oak  Mills.  He 
and  Ms  brother  alsol  put  into  operation  the 
Southern  Finishing  MUl,  the  first  institution  of  its 
kind  in  the  South.  Incidentally  it  may  be  stated 
that  through  the  operations  of  these  brothers 
Greensboro  took  a  new  lease  of  industrial  pros- 
perity and  from  that  time  forward  its  strides  as 
a  southern  industrial  center  have  taken  it  to  a 
foremost  position  among  the  cities  of  North 
Carolina. 

Though  never  a  resident  of  Greensboro,  Moses 
Cone  was  well  known  in  the  city  and  his  work  and 
influence  have  been  vital  factors  in  the  state  as  a 
whole.  About  1900  he  bought  a  large  tract  of  land 
near  Blowing  Rock,  and  tliere  built  the  palatial 
home  which  he  loved  so  well  and  which  was  the 
scene  of  his  last  days.  The  Blowing  Rock  estate 
is  a  wonderfully  interesting  place  and  under  his 
direction  large  areas  of  vineyard  and  orchard  were 
developed.  In  that  home  Moses  H.  Cone  died  De- 
cember 8,  1908.  He  married  Bertha  Lindau,  who 
survives  him. 

Thomas  Henry  Briggs.  The  character  of  the 
men  of  a  community  may  be  correctly  gauged  by 
the  standing  of  its  business  houses  whose  growth 
has  been  stimulated  by  intelligent  and  progressive 
methods,  or  held  back  by  lack  of  proper  develop- 
ment. No  city  can  attain  its  highest  standard 
lacking  the  oo-operation  of  its  citizens  in  all  lines 
in  giving  honest  service  for  value  received.  The 
real  progressive  and  helpful  men  of  a  community 
may  be  counted  upon  to  promulgate  and  support 
worthy  measures  looking  toward  the  securing  for 
their  community  of  solid  improvements;  they  are 
to  be  found  actively  engaged  in  church  labors;  they 
give  a  solidity  to  commercial  organizations,  and 
when  the  need  arises  contribute  liberally  toward 
charities.  Judging  from  all  these  standards,  the 
City  of  Raleigh  is  fortunate  in  the  possession  of 
such  sterling  citizens  as  Thomas  Henry  Briggs, 
who  has  been  identified  with  the  commercial  life 
of  the  city  since  1870,  and  who,  during  his  long 
career,  has  labored  faithfully  in  church  move- 
ments, has  maintained  a  high  standard  in  his 
commercial  relations,  and  has  consistently  and 
continuously  worked  in  behalf  of  better  education, 
better  morality  and  better  citizenship. 

Mr.  Briggs  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  families 
of  Raleigh,  his  grandparents,  John  Joyner  and 
Elizabeth  (Utley)  Briggs.  having  been  among  the 
founders  of  the  city  in  1792.  He  was  born  Septem- 
ber 9,  1847,  and  is  the  eldest  soit  of  Thomas  Henry 
and  Evelina  (Norwood)  Briggs,  and  secured  good 
educational  advantages  in  his  youth,  attending  the 
celebrated  school  of  Mrs.  James  P.  Taylor,  Love- 
.ioy  Academy  and  Wake  Forest  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1870.  In  that  year  began  his 
connection  with  the  commercial  life  of  Raleigh,  an 
association  that  has  continued  throughout  a 
period  of  more  than  forty-eight  years.  Mr.  Briggs 
has  been  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail 
hardware  business  and  interested  in  various  other 
industrial,  commercial  and  financial  enterprises  of 
the  community,  and  at  the  jiresent  time  is  a  direc- 
tor in  the  Commercial  National  Bank,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  organizers,  and  the  Wake  County 
Savings  Bank. 

As  a  supporter  of  the  cause  of  education,  Mr. 
Briggs  has  served  as  school  committeeman  for 
Raleigh  Township  as  trustee  for  the  Agricultural 


and  Mechanical  College  for  the  Colored  Race,  at 
Greensboro,  North  Carolina,  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  Governor  Elias  Carr,  and  for  twenty- 
five  years  as  treasurer  of  Wake  Forest  College.  On 
his  resignation  from  the  last-named  position  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  that 
institution,  and  still  holds  that  position.  He  is 
also  president  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Raleigh  Cemetery  Association.  John  Joyner 
Briggs  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Raleigh,  hence  Thomas  Henry 
Briggs  is  the  third  generation  of  the  family  in 
this  church,  whose  successive  pastors  have  had  no 
hesitancy  in  calling  upon  him  for  aid  in  forwara- 
ing  the  work  of  the  organization.  He  is  otherwise 
closely  identified  with  the  religious  life  of  the  city 
and  with  mission  interests,  both  home  and  foreign, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  state 's  leading 
Sunday  school  workers,  his  efforts  being  directed 
particularly  in  the  training  of  boys  and  youths. 
Mr.  Briggs  is  known  and  honored  in  the  commun- 
ity as  a  man  above  reproach,  of  integrity  and  of 
high  Christian  character. 

On  October  21,  1874,  Mr.  Briggs  was  married  to 
Miss  Sarah  Grandy,  daughter  of  Willis  Sawyer  and 
Elizabeth  (Ferebee)  Grandy,  then  living  at  Oxford, 
North  Carolina. 

Thomas  Walter  Bickett.  In  every  state  and 
country  friends  of  enlightened  progress  in  politics, 
those  who  are  prayerfully  and  hopefully  looking 
and  struggling  for  the  light  while  occasionally 
admitting  doutjt  and  cynicism  over  ineptitude  and 
selfishness,  must  find  encouragement  in  what  has 
been  achieved  so  far  during  the  administration  of 
Thomas  Walter  Bickett  as  governor  of  North  Caro- 
lina. While  it  is  too  soon  to  measure  and  estimate 
ultimate  effects  and  results,  it  can  be  confidently 
asserted  that  as  a  rational  program  now  in  progress 
of  fulfillment  no  state  in  the  Union  can  present 
a  record  that  is  more  completely  an  expression  of 
political  wisdom  and  practical  idealism. 

Since  he  became  governor,  Mr.  Bickett  has 
truly  demonstrated  leadership  which  leads.  While 
at  every  point  it  has  been  democratic  leadership. 
He  has  compelled  attention  and  has  gained  support 
for  his  proposals  through  the  cogency  of  clear  and 
sincere  presentation.  It  may  be  ventured  that  no 
public  paper  relating  to  the  state  of  affairs  in 
North  Carolina  has  been  more  widely  read  and 
will  be  more  frequently  referred  to  in  the  years 
to  come  than  the  inaugural  address  of  Governor 
Bickett.  It  is  a  wonderful  appeal  to  the  spirit  of 
progress,  to  constructive  co-operative  endeavor  and 
to  that  unselfishness  which  makes  the  interest  of 
the  many  superior  to  the  interest  of  the  few.  It 
would  be  no  disparagement  of  those  who  loyally 
co-operated  with  Governor  Bickett  in  carrying  out 
his  plans  to  assert  that  the  clear  and  forceful  man- 
ner in  which  he  presented  the  different  items  of  his 
program  quickened  and  vitalized  popular  support 
all  over  the  state,  so  that  the  results  in  formal 
legislation  were  almost  inevitable.  Someone  has 
well  said  that  Governor  Bickett 's  inaugural  address 
delivered  in  January,  1917,  was  his  platform,  and 
that  in  January,  1918,  though  he  had  been  in  of- 
fice only  a  year  the  address  had  become  his  record. 

Considered  either  as  literary  or  as  a  political 
document  the  most  notable  feature  of  the  inaugural 
address  was  the  specific  and  direct  language  in 
which  the  various  propositions  were  outlined,  and 
the  almost  total  absence  of  generalization  and 
rhetoric.     The  address  falls  into  two  parts.     The 


18 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


first  is  an  outline  of  nine  measures,  all  directed 
to  the  improvement  of  rural  life:  Assisting  the 
tenant  to  become  a  landlord  by  eonstitutional 
amendment  exempting  taxation  notes  and  mort- 
gages given  for  the  purchase  price  of  a  home;  the 
conserving  of  fertility  and  the  regeneration  of  the 
soil;  legislation  to  relieve  the  farmer  of  the  evils 
of  the  crop  lien;  development  of  the  water  powers 
of  the  state ;  establishment  and  extension  of  rural 
telephone  systems;  making  the  schoolhouse  the  so- 
cial as  well  as  the  educational  center  of  rural  com- 
munities; maintenance  as  well  as  construction  of 
good  highways;  constitutional  amendment  requir- 
ing a  fixed  school  term  throughout  the  state;  and 
incorporation  of  rural  communities.  Governor 
Biekett  in  addition  to  these  nine  measures  urged 
a  uniform  system  school  administration  both  in 
counties  and  for  the  state  at  large.  On  the  subject 
of  manufacturing  his  proposals  were  three  in 
number :  A  reasonable  minimum  requirement  that 
manufacturers  should  provide  for  the  convenience 
and  comfort  of  mill  operatives;  permission  to 
combination  by  manufacturers  for  advancement  of 
trade;  and  industrial  and  technical  education  in 
manufacturing  districts.  Other  proposals  were  for 
a  commission  to  submit  a  comprehensive  plan  of 
taxation,  for  the  enlargement  of  the  scope  of  work 
and  adequate  appropriations  for  the  state  board 
of  health;  provision  for  absentee  voting;  limita- 
tion of  state  officers  to  two  successive  terms  and 
of  county  officers  to  three  successive  terms;  urging 
the  wisdom  of  the  short  ballot;  consolidation  of 
boards  of  management  for  state  hospitals;  central- 
ized management  of  the  state  agricultural  depart- 
ment and  tlie  College  of  Agriculture;  and  modi- 
fications and  reforms  of  state  prison  management. 

It  will  now  be  in  order  to  notice  briefly  how 
Governor  Biekett 's  suggestions  were  enacted  into 
law  by  General  Assembly  of  1917.  A  brief  sum- 
mary of  the  specific  acts  is  as  follows: 

The  act  submitting  a  eonstitutional  amendment 
calling  for  a  six  months'  instead  of  a  four  months' 
public  school  term.  The  act  follows  the  declara- 
tion in  the  governor's  inaugural  address  that  "the 
childi-en  are  entitled  to  have  the  voter  east  a  single 
ballot,  whether  he  is  or  is  not  in  favor  of  a 
larger  opportunity  for  the  child. ' ' 

The  act  submitting  a  constitutional  amendment 
exempting  from  taxation,  notes  and  mortgages 
given  in  good  faith  for  the  purchase  price  of  a 
home.  The  purpose  of  this  act  is  to  bring  the 
money  in  reach  of  every  homesteader. 

The  crop  lien  act  designed  to  give  the  small 
farmer  a  chance  to  ' '  break  out  of  jail. ' ' 

The  act  providing  for  the  teaching  of  the  basic 
principles  of  good  farming  in  every  rural  public 
school.  The  machinery  of  this  act  is  well  adapted 
to  serve  its  purpose. 

The  act  to  encourage  the  instaUation  of  run- 
ning water,  electric  lights,  telephones  in  country 
homes  and  communities  by  furnishing  expert  ad- 
vice and  assistance  free  of  cost. 

The  act  to  make  the  schoolhouse  a  social  center 
and  to  jirovide  for  wholesome  entertainment  in 
country  sehoolhouses  that  will  be  both  constructive 
and  relaxing. 

The  act  providing  for  the  medical  inspection 
of  all  children  who  attend  the  public  schools  that 
physical  defects  may  be  discovered  and  corrected 
in  their  incipiency. 

The  act  providing  for  the  incorporation  of  rural 
communities  to  the  end  that  thickly  settled  com- 
munities in  the  country  may  take  such  steps  for 


tlieir  own  betterment  as  they  think  wise  and 
proper. 

Tlie  act  forbidding  the  sale  of  the  advertise- 
ment for  sale  of  medicines  purporting  to  cure 
incurable  diseases  and  forbidding  the  sale  of  me- 
chanical device  for  the  treatment  of  disease  when 
the  state  board  of  health  may  declare  such  device 
to  be  without  curative  value. 

The  act  providing  for  the  improvement  of  high- 
ways by  expenditure  of  automobile  tax  for  this 
purpose  under  the  direction  of  the  state  highway 
commission. 

Tlie  act  that  permits  and  regulates  absentee 
voting. 

The  appointment  of  a  state  tax  commission  to 
investigate  and  report  a  comprehensive  system  of 
taxation   to   the  next  General  Assembly. 

The  act  consolidating  the  management  of  the 
three  hospitals  for  the  insane  and  establishing  a 
purchasing  agency  for  the  seven  state  institutions. 

The  act  limiting  the  time  for  which  a  convict 
may  be  sent  to  a  chain  gang  to  five  years.  The 
recommendation  of  the  governor  was  for  two  years, 
but  owing  to  the  inadequacy  of  quarters  at  the 
state  prison  the  time  was  made  five  years  for  the 
present. 

The  act  authorizing  the  construction  of  modern 
sanitary  quarters  for  the  convicts  on  the  state 
farm. 

The  Turner  bill,  whicli  fulfills  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  governor  in  that  part  of  his  inaugural 
address  in  which  he  says :  "I  am  convinced  that 
the  only  justification  for  tlie  punishment  of  crime 
is  the  protection  of  the  public  and  the  reformation 
of  the  criminal.  Anything  that  savors  of  vin- 
(lictiveness  is  indefensible  in  the  administration 
of  the  law.  When  the  state  sends  a  citizen  to 
prison  he  ought  to  be  made  to  feel  that  his  punish- 
ment is  a  just  measure  imposed  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  himself  and  others  from  committing 
further  crimes,  and  that  pending  his  imprisonment 
the  State  desires  to  afford  him  every  opportunity 
to  become  a  good  citizen." 

Governor  Biekett  has  proved  as  fearless  and 
progressive  in  his  purely  administrative  and  execu- 
tive functions  as  in  promoting  a  liberal  and  well 
rounded  legislative  program.  One  example  only 
can  be  considered  here.  It  was  a  matter  which 
attracted  attention  beyond  the  borders  of  the 
state,  and  was  made  the  subject  of  an  article  by 
a  writer  in  The  Survey.  It  told  how  Governor 
Biekett  exercised  his  executive  clemency  in  writ- 
ing out  pardons  for  six  boys,  whose  average  age 
was  a  little  more  than  twelve  years,  who  had  each 
been  convicted  for  some  criminal  offense  and  the 
sentences  ranging  from  fifteen  years  to  a  life  term 
in  the  penitentiary.  In  doing  this  he  was  acting 
upon  the  principles  that  he  enunciated  in  his 
inaugural  and  at  the  same  time  was  overturning 
]irecedents  and  setting  new  ones,  and  was  revers- 
ing the  will  and  decision  of  the  state  courts. 
While  Governor  Biekett  accepts  and  approved  the 
partisan  system  of  democratic  government,  is  hirh- 
self  a  party  man,  it  is  true  that  he  has  as  little 
partisanship  in  the  narrow  personal  sense  as  any 
man  who  has  ever  been  governor  of  "North  Caro- 
lina. He  is  proud  of  what  has  been  accomplished 
during  his  term,  and  yet  the  credit  for  all  those 
varied  achievements  he  generously  assigns  to  the 
state  administration  as  a  whole  in  which  he  is 
merely  the  executive  head.  The  spirit  of  this  is 
well  indicated  in  an  article  which  he  gave  to  the 
public   press   reviewing   the  work   of   the   General 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


19 


Assembly  of  1917  and  as  his  personal  impression 
of  the  results  wliieli  have  already  been  outlined 
it  has  its  appropriate   place   in  this   article : 

' '  The  finest  commentary  on  the  General  As- 
sembly of  1917,  will  be  found  in  tlie  simplest  state- 
ment of  its  record.  The  outstanding  feature  of 
that  record  is  that  it  deals  entirely  with  industrial, 
social  and  educational  problems.  Only  in  a  nega- 
tive way  did  the  Assembly  touch  the  domain  of 
politics.  The  big,  constructive  measures  were  con- 
sidered in  patriotic  fashion,  and  it  is  due  the 
members  of  the  minority  party  to  say  that  on  these 
questions  they  refrained  from  playing  politics  and 
gave  vote  and  voice  to  the  support  of  what  they 
conceived  to  be  the  highest  good. 

' '  The  record  discloses  that  the  Assembly  recog- 
nized two  fundamental  principles : 

"1.  That  every  citizen  is  entitled  to  a  fair 
chance  to  make  his  bread. 

"2.  That  a  high  grade  citizenship  cannot  live 
by  bread  alone. 

' '  The  constitutional  amendment  exempting  home- 
stead notes  from  taxation,  the  crop  lien  law  regu- 
lating the  penalty  imposed  on  poverty  for  its  in- 
ability to  pay  cash  for  supplies,  the  act  providing 
for  tlie  teaching  of  the  fundamentals  of  good  farm- 
ing in  every  country  school,  the  law  providing  for 
medical  inspection  of  school  children  so  as  to 
discover  physical  defects  in  their  incipieney,  the 
act  to  protect  the  citizen  from  being  defrauded  by 
the  sale  of  nostrums  for  incurable  diseases,  the 
establishment  of  the  home  and  school  for  cripples, 
the  state  wide  quarantine  law,  this  law  providing 
rural  sanitation  were  all  designed  and  are  calcu- 
lated to  aid  the  citizen  in  the  world  old  battle  for 
bread.  They  deal  largely  with  the  physical  neces- 
sities of  men,  but  in  addition  to  their  commercial 
value  they  are  shot  through  with  the  spirit  of 
humanitarianism. 

"On  the  other  hand  the  eoustitutioual  amend- 
ment calling  for  a  six  instead  of  a  four  months' 
scliool,  the  act  authorizing  the  incorporation  of 
rural  communities,  tlie  liberal  appropriation  for 
moonlight  schools,  the  expansion  of  the  work  of 
rural  libraries,  the  act  providing  for  a  system  of 
state  highways,  the  act  to  encourage  the  installa- 
tion of  running  water  and  electric  lights  and  tele- 
phones in  country  homes,  the  appropriation  to 
relieve  the  loneliness  of  country  life  by  giving 
wholesome,  instructive  and  entertaining  exhibitions 
in  country  school  houses,  the  establishment  of  the 
home  for  delinquent  women,  the  creation  of  the 
State  Board  of  general  welfare  and  public  char- 
ities, the  special  act  for  the  building  of  a  new 
home  for  the  blind,  the  three  million  dollar  bond 
issue  to  encourage  the  building  of  better  school 
houses  in  the  country,  and  to  provide  adequate 
quarters  and  equipment  for  our  educational  and 
cliaritable  institutions,  all  recognize  the  truth  that 
man  cannot  live  by  bread  alone,  but  requires  for 
liis  jiroper  devcloiiment  the  enrichment  of  his  social 
and  intellectual  life. 

' '  In  addition  to  these  measures  that  so  vitally 
touch  the  life  of  the  people,  the  administration  of 
the  State's  affairs  were  placed  upon  a  more  in- 
telligent and  humane  basis  by  the  prison  reform 
bill,  the  consolidation  of  the  three  hospitals  for 
the  insane  under  a  single  management,  the  act  to 
establish  a  new  and  modern  system  of  accounting 
in  the  State  departments  and  institutions,  the  law 
creating  an  educational  commission  to  consider  the 
entire  school  system  of  the  state,  the  act  providing 
for  a  State  Board  to  examine  teachers  and  conduct 


educational  institutes,  the  creation  of  a  sub-com- 
mission to  devise  an  equitable  system  of  taxation, 
and  the  law  eliminating  unnecessary  and  cumber- 
some reports  of  State  departments. 

"I  do  not  have  before  me  any  list  of  the  acts 
of  the  General  Assembly,  and  I  may  have  omitted 
some  important  measures  in  this  outline.  But  in 
the  record  above  given  there  will  be  found  twenty- 
one  separate  and  distinct  acts  of  dealing  with  new 
subjects  or  old  subjects  in  a  new  way.  And  the 
fine  thing  about  the  record  is  that  not  one  of  the 
acts  named  was  written  in  a  spirit  of  hostility 
to  jiersons  or  property,  but  every  one  of  them  rep- 
resents a  proper  conception  of  ]uiblic  service.  The 
General  Assembly  made  scant  use  of  the  hatchet, 
but  was  very  busy  with  the  trowel,  the  hammer 
and  the  saw.  In  the  early  days  of  the  session 
there  was  considerable  lost  motion  and  there  were 
a  few  grave  errors  of  omission,  but  the  record  in 
its  entirety  reveals  the  Legislator  of  1917  as  a 
'workman  tliat  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed.'  " 

It  now  remains  to  review  briefly  the  career  of 
tliis  honored  public  servant  of  North  Carolina, 
whose  earlier  years  well  justified  the  record  he 
has  made  in  the  office  of  governor.  Thomas  Walter 
Bickett  was  born  in  Monroe,  North  Carolina,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1869,  a  son  of  T.  W.  and  Mary  A. 
(Covington)  Bickett.  When  he  was  thirteen  years 
of  age  his  father  died,  and  as  tlie  oldest  of  four 
children  he  had  heavy  responsibilities  and  in  pro- 
viding for  tlieir  support  he  acquired  much  of  the 
self-reliance  and  the  sturdy  manhood  which  have 
always  distinguished  him.  lie  attended  the  Monroe 
Higli  Seliool,  and  in  1886  entered  Wake  Forest 
College.  He  paid  his  way  through  school,  and 
at  the  same  time  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  col- 
lege life,  gaining  honors  as  a  debater,  winning  a 
wealth  of  school  associations  and  lasting  friend- 
ships, and  graduating  A.  B.  with  the  class  of  1890. 
Then  followed  a  period  of  teaching,  principally  in 
the  graded  scliools  of  Winston-Salem  until  1892. 
He  liad  spent  the  vacations  studying  law  in  the 
office  of  his  uncle,  D.  A.  Covington,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1892  entered  the  University  Law  School. 
Receiving  his  license  to  practice  in  February, 
1893,  he  spent  1%  years  at  Danbury,  and  since 
.January,  1895,  his  home  has  lieen  at  Louisburg  in 
Franklin  County.  In  his  practice  there  he  was 
soon  noted  as  a  leader  of  the  bar,  a  man  of  ade- 
quate scholarship,  of  splendid  resourcefulness  both 
in  learning  and  in  wit,  and  witli  an  integrity  of 
character  tliat  caused  his  clients  to  trust  implicitly 
in  his  judgment. 

While  during  the  years  that  followed  he  steadily 
liuilt  up  a  reputation  as  a  lawyer  and  became  well 
known  to  the  members  of  the  state  bar,  he  gave  all 
his  time  to  his  profession  and  never  consented  to 
lie  a  figure  in  polities  until  1907,  when  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  He  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  17.50,  and  after  taking  his 
seat  distinguished  himself  as  an  able  advocate  of 
some  of  the  measures  of  special  importance  to 
the  state.  As  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Insane  Asylums  he  introduced  and  secured  the 
passage  of  what  is  known  as  the  Bickett  Bill,  ap- 
propriating a  half  million  dollars  for  the  purchase 
of  land  and  construction  of  buildings  to  take 
care  of  the  insane  and  other  classes  of  the  state's 
unfortunate.  That  was  the  largest  appropriation 
voted  by  the  General  Assembly  for  a  single  pur- 
jiose  in  an  entire  decade.  He  also  advocated  a 
iiill  to  regulate  lobbying,  and  worked  for  the 
establishment     of     the     East     Carolina     Teachers 


20 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Training  School  and  the  establishment  of  a 
school  of  t-eehnology  in   some  cotton   mill  center. 

As  a  delegate  to  the  Charlotte  Convention  of 
1908  Mr.  Bickett  iirst  became  a  figure  of  state 
wide  prominence.  His  nominating  speech  for 
Col.  Ashley  Home  for  governor  made  him  so 
conspicuous  that  he  in  turn  was  nominated  for 
the  office  of  attorney  general,  and  during  the  fol- 
lowing campaign  he  did  much  to  draw  together 
the  various  factions  in  his  own  party  and  con- 
tributed much  to  the  success  of  the  ticket.  He 
was  elected  attorney  general  and  began  his  of- 
ficial duties  in  January,  1909.  In  1912  he  was 
reelected,   for   the   term   expiring  in   1916. 

His  record  of  service  has  been  particularly 
scrutinized  by  the  people  of  North  Carolina  dur- 
ing the  last  year  or  so,  when  his  candidacy  was 
urged  on  all  sides  for  the  office  of  governor  to 
succeed  Mr.  Craig.  His  record  as  attorney 
general  is  one  of  special  interest.  Besides  acting 
as  adviser  to  every  department  of  the  state 
government,  he  argued  upwards  of  400  cases  before 
the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina,  and  repre- 
sented the  state  before  the  Federal  Court  within 
the  state,  the  Commerce  Court  and  the  Interstate 
Commerce  Commission  and  the  Supreme  Court  at 
Washington,  and  it  is  said  that  every  ease  argued 
by  him  before  a  federal  tribunal  was  won  for  the 
state.  A  reference  to  his  work  as  attorney 
general  is  found  in  an  editorial  of  the  Raleigh 
News  and  Observer  of  November  11,  191.5,  which 
says :  ' '  The  record  of  Attorney  General  Thomas 
W.  Bickett  before  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court  is  one  of  which  he  can  well  be  proud.  Since 
coming  into  the  high  office  which  he  holds  he  has 
had  occasion  to  argue  five  different  cases  before 
the  Supreme  Court  as  the  guardian  of  the  state 's 
legal  rights,  and  he  has  won  every  one  of  them. 
The  Tennessee-North  Carolina  boundary  ease, 
which  was  decided  Monday  in  favor  of  North 
Carolina,  being  the  latest  one  to  claim  public  at- 
tention. Mr.  Bickett  besides  being  one  of  our 
most  finished  public  speakers  is  also  one  of  the 
state 's  astute  lawyers,  capable  of  profound  and 
patient  study,  with  a  keenly  analytical  mind  and 
with  the  faculty  of  engaging  and  illuminating 
expression." 

A  gracefully  expressed  tribute  such  as  few  men 
can  deserve  was  that  which  appeared  in  the  annual 
publication  for  1915  of  Wake  Forest  College,  and 
which  is  dedicated  to  Mr.  Bickett  as  follows: 
"To  Thomas  Walter  Bickett,  Class  1890.  On 
every  level  of  a  brilliant  career,  student,  teacher, 
lawyer,  attorney  general,  standing  in  the  midst  of 
a  host  of  friends. ' ' 

Every  successive  st-age  of  his  career  has  demon- 
strated him  a  man  of  proficiency,  adequate  for 
the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  time,  and 
fitting  himself  for  a  new  and  larger  life  that  was 
to  succeed.  Therefore  when  on  November  5, 
1916,  the  people  of  North  Carolina  were  called 
upon  to  express  their  choice  of  a  citizen  to  fill 
the  office  of  governor,  there  was  no  question  of 
fitness  and  only  a  generous  outburst  of  confidence 
and  trust  in  a  man  who  had  proved  worthy  at 
every  test,  Mr,  Bickett  was  elected  governor  of 
North  Carolina  on  the  democratic  ticket  by  over 
48,000  majority.  He  was  inaugurated  governor 
on  January  1,  1917, 

Mr,  Bickett  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order 
and  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  On  November  29, 
1898,  he  married  Miss  Fannie  Yarborough,  a 
woman  of  rare  attainments  and  fine  character,  and 


devoted  to  their  home  and  to  his  advancement  as 
a  public  leader.     They  have  one  child, 

Pl.^tt  DrcKiN-sON  Walker,  For  thirteen  Tears 
the  learning  and  integrity  of  Piatt  Dickinson  Wal- 
ker has  been  read  into  the  decisions  of  the  North 
Carolina  Supreme  Court,  He  is  one  of  North 
Carolina's  most  distinguished  lawyers  and  jurists 
and  a  man  who  has  succeeded  in  translating  the 
high  ideals  of  the  profession  into  practical  service 
for  good  in  his  community  and  state. 

He  was  born  in  Wilmington,  North  Carolina, 
a  son  of  Thomas  D.  and  Mary  Vance  Dickinson 
Walker,  and  has  lived  in  North  Carolina  practically 
all  his  life.  He  received  his  early  education  in 
George  W.  Jewett 's  School  at  Wilmington  and  in 
James  H.  Horner's  School  at  Oxford,  North  Caro- 
lina. He  then  entered  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  being  a  member  of  the  class  of  1869,  but 
finished  his  collegiate  course  at  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  he  had  as  preceptors  in  his  legal 
studies  the  noted  Prof.  John  B.  Minor  and  Profes- 
sor Southall.  Graduating  LL.  B.  in  1869,  he  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  North  Carolina  by  the 
Supreme  Court  at  the  June  term  of  1870*.  In 
that  year  he  located  at  Eockingham,  and  was  in 
practice  with  the  late  Walter  L.  Steele,  who  after- 
wards represented  a  North  Carolina  District  in 
Congress.  While  living  there  he  represented 
T?ichmond  County  in  the  General  Assembly  in  1874- 

In  1876  Judge  Walker  moved  to  Charlotte,  and 
was  associated  in  partnership  with  Hon.  Clement 
Dowd,  who  was  afterwards  a  congressman,  and  in 
November,  1880,  became  a  jiartner  with  Hon. 
Armistead  Burwell,  who  afterwards  was  honored 
with  a  seat  on  the  Supreme  Bench.  In  1892  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  E.  T.  Cansler.  From 
Mecklenburg  County  Judge  Walker  was  called  to 
Raleigh  as  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
beginning  his  first  terra  January  1,  1903,  and  his 
second  term  January  1,  1911. 

In  1899  Judge  Walker  served  as  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  North  Carolina  Bar  Association.  He 
is  a  trustee  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina, 
which  in  1908  honored  him  with  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.,  and  he  holds  a  similar  degree  from  David- 
son College  conferred  in  190.3.  Judge  Walker  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  He  has  been 
twice  married.  June  5,  1878,  at  Reidsville,  North 
Carolina  he  married  Miss  Henrietta  Settle  Coving- 
ton, On  June  8,  1910,  he  married  Miss  Alma  Locke 
Mordecai.  Judge  Walker  still  retains  his  residence 
at  Charlotte.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Bar  Association  and  now  holds  the  office  in  that 
association    of    vice   president   for   this    state. 

Hon.  Locke  Cr.\ig.  Governor  of  North  Caro- 
lina from  1913  to  1917,  Locke  Craig  has  long 
ranked  as  one  of  the  state 's  foremost  orators,  a 
man  of  commanding  influence  in  public  affairs, 
and  until  he  took  the  governor 's  chair  had  spent 
twenty  years  in  the  practice  of  law. 

Governor  Craig  was  born  in  Bertie  County, 
North  Carolina,  August  16,  1860,  a  son  of  Andrew 
Murdoek  and  Clarissa  Rebecca  (Gillam")  Craig. 
He  "represents  one  of  the  old  Colonial  families,  his 
paternal  ancestor,  William  Craig,  having  come 
from  his  native  Scotland,  first  to  Ireland  and  then 
to  America  in  1749,  This  ancestor  settled  in 
Orange  County,  North  Carolina, 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  Locke  Craig  to 
spend  his  early  years  on  a  farm.     The  leanings 


^/f^Jh^^-^^-^^^^-^'^^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


21 


of  bis  ambitions  and  his  talents  brought  him  to 
a  professional  career.  In  1880  he  graduated  with 
honor  from  the  University  of  Nortli  Carolina  with 
the  degree  A.  B.,  and  in  1883  he  concluded  his 
preliminary  work  and  was  admitted  to  the  Morth 
Carolina  bar.  He  then  located  at  Asheville,  and 
applied  himself  industriously  to  accumulating  a 
practice  and  reputation  as  a  lawyer. 

For  years  he  has  been  recognized  as  a  forceful 
leader  of  the  people,  and  a  man  of  unusual  power 
as  a  public  speaker.  In  1892  he  was  presiden- 
tial elector  for  the  then  Ninth  Congressional  Dis- 
trict, and  in  1896  was  elector  for  the  state  at 
large.  In  the  latter  year  he  made  a  brilliant  can- 
vass of  North  Carolina  on  behalf  of  William  J. 
Bryan.  In  1898  he  was  nominated  for  the  Legis- 
lature from  Buncombe  County,  and  in  that  cam- 
paign proved  his  ability  as  a  successful  campaign- 
er by  reversing  the  normal  republican  majority 
of  600  and  went  into  office  with  a  clear  majority 
of  700.  Observers  of  political  affairs  in  North 
Carolina  concede  that  the  General  Assembly  of 
1899  was  one  of  the  ablest  bodies  of  men  ever 
gathered  together  as  political  representatives  of  the 
people  of  the  state.  In  that  Legislature  Governor 
Craig  was  one  of  the  leaders.  He  was  one  of  the 
foremost  in  proposing  a  state  suffrage  amend- 
ment to  the  constitution.  In  1900  he  was  returned 
to  the  Legislature  by  an  increased  majority,  and 
in  the  Legislature  of  1903  was  a  prominent  can- 
didate for  the  United  States  Senate,  being  beaten 
only  after  a  protracted  struggle. 

In  1912  Jlr.  Craig  was  elected  governor  of 
North  Carolina  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
his  office  in  January,  1913.  The  record  of  his 
administration  is  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  while  Governor  Craig  was  noted  for  the 
firmness  of  his  decisions  and  the  many  construc- 
tive measures  advocated  by  him  and  carried 
through  to  the  benefit  of  the  state,  his  popularity 
was  as  great  when  he  left  office  at  the  close  of 
1916  as  it  had  l)een  when  he  was  carried  by  the 
votes  of  the  people  into  the  governor's  chair. 
Since  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  governor  Mr. 
Craig  has  resumed  his  residence  at  Asheville. 

November  18,  1891,  Governor  Craig  married 
Annie  Burgin  of  McDowell  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. They  are  the  parents  of  four  sons:  Carlyle, 
a  naval  officer;  George  Winston,  an  officer  in  the 
National  Army;  Arthur,  also  a  naval  officer; 
and  Locke,  .Jr.,  who  was  born  in  the  governor's 
mansion  in  November,  1914. 

Henry  Groves  Connor,  United  States  district 
judge  of  the  Eastern  District  of  North  Carolina, 
son  of  David  and  Mary  C.  (Groves)  Connor,  was 
born  at  Wilmington,  July  3,  18.52.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  at  Wilson,  which  is  still  his  home. 
.Judge  Connor  was  in  active  practice  of  the  law 
from  1873  to  1885  and  from  1893  to  1903.  More 
than  half  of  his  active  professional  career  has  been 
spent  on  the  bench.  In  188.5  he  represented  his 
district  in  the  State  Senate;  and  in  1899  and 
1901  he  served  in  the  House  of  Bepresentatives, 
of  which  he  was  speaker  in  1899.  He  was  appoint- 
ed judge  of  the  Superior  Court  in  1885  and  served 
until  1893,  when  he  resigned  to  resume  the  practice 
of  the  law.  In  1902  he  was  elected  an  associate 
justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina. 
From  that  office,  although  a  democrat,  he  was 
appointed  by  President  AVilliam  Howard  Taft  to 
the  United  States  District  Bench  for  the  Eastern 
District  on  June  1,  1909.     He  is  a  democrat  and 


a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  1908  the 
University  of  North  Carolina  conferred  upon  him 
the  degree  of  LL.  D.  Judge  Connor  married  Miss 
Kate  Whitfield,  of  Wilson,  North  Carolina.  They 
have  had  twelve  children,  of  whom  nine  are  living. 
George  Whitfield  Connor,  eldest  son  of  Henry 
Groves  and  Kate  Whitfield  Connor,  was  born  at 
Wilson,  October  24,  1873,  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  North  Carolina  in  1892,  and  for  five 
years  was  in  educational  work  as  principal  of  the 
Goldsboro  High  School  and  superintendent  of  the 
pubUe  schools  of  Wilson.  From  1897  to  1912  he 
was  in  business  at  Wilson  as  a  merchant.  From 
1905  to  1908  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Education  of  Wilson  County.  In  1912  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  the  law.  He  served  as  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  1909,  1911  and 
1913,  and  was  speaker  of  the  House  during  his 
last  term.  In  1913  he  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  Commission  on  Constitutional  Amendments  and 
in  the  same  year  was  appointed  judge  of  the 
Superior  Courts  of  the  Second  District.  He  also 
served  as  a  trustee  of  the  University  of  North  Car- 
olina from  1905  to  1909.  Judge  Connor  is  a 
democrat  and  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
May  30,  1894,  he  married  Miss  Bessie  Hadley, 
daughter  of  J.  C.  Hadley  of  Wilson.  They  have 
liad  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  living. 

Frank  H.  Vogler.  Much  of  the  business  his- 
tory of  Winston-Salem  might  be  written  around 
the  family  name  Vogler.  Voglers  have  lived  in 
this  part  of  North  Carolina  from  pioneer  times. 
They  were  prominent  in  the  community  of  old 
Salem,  long  before  Winston  came  into  existence 
or  before  the  Twin  City  of  Winston-Salem  was 
dreamed  of.  Frank  H.  Vogler  has  been  a  promi- 
nent business  man  of  Winston-Salem  for  over 
thirty  years,  and  at  one  time  served  as  mayor  of 
Salem. 

He  was  bom  in  the  old  Town  of  Salem.  His 
father,  Alexander  C.  Vogler,  was  also  born  at 
Salem,  in  1832.  The  grandfather  was  Nathaniel 
Vogler,  likewise  a  native  of  Salem.  The  great- 
grandfather was  the  founder  of  this  branch  of  the 
family  in  North  Carolina.  The  family  history 
states  that  he  was  one  of  six  brothers,  natives  of 
Germany,  who,  coming  to  America,  located  at 
Waldoboro  in  the  State  of  Maine.  One  of  the, 
brothers  remained  in  Maine,  and  his  descendants- 
are  still  to  be  found  there.  The  other  five  broth- 
ers came  south  on  a  sailing  vessel.  The  ship  was 
wrecked  off  Cape  Henry,  and  the  brothers  and 
other  passengers  were  landed  on  an  island.  Sub- 
sequently they  were  picked  up  by  another  ship, 
which  carried  them  to  Wilmington.  From  Wilm- 
ington.the  Vogler  brothers  made  their  way  to  the 
interior  and  located  in  that  portion  of  the  original 
Stokes  County  now  Forsyth  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. Whether  all  the  five  brothers  had  families 
is  not  known,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  many  descend- 
ants of  the  Vogler  stock  are  still  found  in  this 
part  of  North  Carolina. 

Grandfather  Nathaniel  Vogler  learned  the  trade- 
of  gunsmith.  For  many  years  he  was  enp-aged  in 
the  manufacture  of  fire  arms  at  Salem.  He  was 
not  only  a  master  of  his  trade  but  also  took  pride- 
and  pains  with  every  piece  of  work  that  left  his 
shop.  The  rifles  he  made  were  noted  for  their 
ser-vicea.hleness  and  accuracy,  and  they  were  sold 
not    only    over   North    Carolina    but    in    Virginia.. 


22 


HISTORY  OF  NORTPI  CAROLINA 


Though  Nathaniel  Vogler  owned  a  farm  two  miles 
south  of  Salem,  he  always  kept  his  home  in  the 
town.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
He  married  Mary  Fishel.  She  was  born  at  Frieds- 
liurg  in  Davidson  County,  North  Carolina,  where 
her  parents  were  among  the  pioneers.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband  and  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
eighty-nine.  There  were  nine  children  in  tlieir 
family:  Henry,  Laura,  wlio  married  William  Beck, 
Julius,  Martha,  wlio  married  Edward  Peterson, 
Alexander  C,  Mortimer  N.,  Maria  E.,  who  for 
upwards  of  thirty  years  was  a  teacher  in  the 
Salem  Academy,  Regina  A.  and  William  F.,  both 
of  whom  are  still  living. 

Alexander  C.  Vogler  took  up  another  trade  than 
that  of  his  father.  He  served  an  apprenticeship 
at  cabinet  making,  and  following  his  apprentice- 
ship he  did  .iourneyman  work  in  Macon,  Georgia, 
ami  Milton,  North  Carolina.  He  finally  returned 
to  Salem  and  set  up  in  business  for  himself.  In 
earlier  years  he  made  many  articles  of  furniture, 
and  his  shop  was  largely  a  custom  shop,  but  he 
gradually  introduced  a  general  stock  of  furniture. 
His  first  shot)  was  24  by  70  feet,  a  frame 
building,  located  close  to  the  north  line  of 
Salem.  At  that  time  the  present  site  of  Winston 
was  a  wilderness.  In  18.58  Alexander  Vqgler 
made  undertaking  a  branch  of  his  furniture  busi- 
ness, and  he  continued  actively  in  those  lines  until 
his  death  in  1903.  Alexander  Vogler  married 
Antoinette  Hauser.  She  was  born  in  Salem,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Susanna  (Shultz) 
Hauser.  She  died  in  1906,  three  years  after  her 
husband.  There  were  only  two  children,  Mary 
A.  and  Frank  H.  Mary  A.,  now  deceased,  was 
the  wife  J.  F.  Grouse. 

As  his  father  was  a  substantial  business  man 
and  highly  respected  citizen,  Frank  H.  Vogler 
grew  up  in  Salem  and  enjoyed  a  good  home  and 
liberal  encouragement  and  advantages.  He  at- 
tended the  Boys'  School  at  Salem,  and  on  leav- 
ing school  became  an  apprentice  at  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade.  In  1888  he  entered  actively  into 
the  business  with  his  father,  and  has  thus  earned 
on  an  establishment  which  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
if  not  the  oldest  under  one  continuous  family  own- 
ership in  Winston-Salem.  Mr.  Frank  Vogler  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Cincinnati  School  of  Embalming 
and  also  studied  the  science  under  E.  B.  Myers,  of 
Springfield,  Ohio,  and  under  the  noted  Rewnard. 
His  sons,  who  are  now  associated  with  him  in  the 
business,  are  graduates  in  embalming,  the  older 
having  his  diploma  from  the  Rewnard  School  of 
Embalming  of  New  York  City.  The  firm  is  now 
Frank  H.  Vogler  &  Sons.  The  building  in  which 
their  business  was  established  nearly  sixty  years 
ago  has  since  been  removed  to  the  back  of  the  lot, 
and  in  front  a  commodious  l>rick  structure  occupies 
the  old  site.  There  is  no  firm  in  North  Carolina 
"which  has  a  more  complete  equipment  and  facil- 
ities for  rendering  ex^pert  and  careful  service  than 
that  of  Frank  H.  Vogler  &  Sons. 

In  188.5  Mr.  Vogler  married  Miss  Dora  Morton. 
She  was  born  in  Alamance  County,  North  Carolina, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Nannie  Morton.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Vogler  are  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Francis  Eugene,  William  N.,  Louise  and  Ruth  A.- 
The  two  sous,  as  has  already  been  noted,  are 
actively  associated  with  tlieir  father  in  business 
thus  making  the  third  successive  generation  to 
foUow  this  profession  at  Winston-Salem.  Eugene 
married  Edith  Witt  and  has  a  son  Francis  Eugene, 


.Tr.      William    N.    married    Camille    Cliugman    and 
has  a  daughter  Virginia. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vogler  are  active  members  of  the 
Home  Moravian  Church.  Tliey  have  reared  tlieir 
family  in  the  same  faith.  Mr.  Vogler  has  served 
as  a  member  of  its  board  of  elders  for  several  years 
and  has  always  been  active  in  church  affairs.  In 
a  public  way  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Aldermen  of  Salem  and  filled  the  oflSce  of  mayor 
for  four  years.  He  is  afiiliated  with  Salem  Lodge 
No.  36,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is 
a  charter  member  of  Salem  Lodge  No.  56,  Knights 
of  Pythias.  He  is  also  widely  known  in  his  pro- 
fession, being  a  member  of  and  secretary  of  the 
State  EmVialmers  Board.  He  is  one  of  tlie  three 
charter  members  still  living  of  the  North  Carolina 
State  Funeral  Directors'  Association. 

Wksley  Bethel  Speas  is  one  of  the  best  known 
educators  in  Western  North  Carolina,  and  since 
1903  continuously  has  been  county  superintendent 
of  schools  of  Forsyth  County.  Mr.  Speas  is  not 
only  a  competent  school  man  from  a  technical 
standpoint,  but  knows,  thoroughly  the  people 
among  whom  he  works.  He  rejiresents  one  of  the 
oldest  families  of  Forsyth  County.  Five  genera- 
tions of  the  family  have  lived  in  this  section  of 
North  Carolina.  The  ancestry  begins  with  John 
Speas,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America 
a  young  man  and  after  a  brief  residence  in  Penn- 
sylvania came  to  North  Carolina  to  join 'the  Ger- 
man Colony  here.  He  located  in  what  is  now  Old 
Richmond  Township  in  Forsyth  County,  and  in 
what  has  since  been  called  the  Reid  Settlement. 
He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  there.  His  chil- 
dren were  named  Jonathan,  John,  Daniel,  Solomon, 
Isaac,  Henry,  Romulus,  Peter,  Kate  and  Elizabeth. 

The  next  generation  was  represented  by  Henry 
Speas,  who  spent  his  Ufe  as  a  farmer"  in  Old 
Richmond  Township.  By  his  marriage  to  Annie 
Shore  he  had  the  following  children:  Levi, 
William  Henry,  Isaac,  Samuel,  Rebecca,  Paulina, 
Betsy,  Malinda,  Mary  P.  and  Julia.  The  last  of 
this  family  was  Mary,  who  died  September  30, 
1917.  She  was  the  widow  of  Wade  H.  Bynum  of 
Winston-Salem. 

William  Henry  Speas,  grandfather  of  Professor 
Speas,  was  born  in  Yadkin  County,  North  Carolina, 
in  1S18.  On  coming  to  manhood  he  boughc  a  farm 
in  "\'ienna  Township  of  Forsyth  County  and  was 
Tni]iIoyed  and  interested  in  its  management  the 
rest  of  his  life.  Before  the  war  he  operated  with 
slave  labor.  He  married  Sallie  Hauser,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Martin  Hauser,  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers at  Bethania.  Both  William  H.  Speas  and  his 
wife  lived  to  a  good  old  age.  Their  children 
were  Wesley,  Edwin,  William,  John  Samuel, 
Junius,  Mary,  Ellen  and  Elizabeth.  The  four 
older  sons  were  all  Confederate  soldiers,  and 
Wesley  and  William  were  both  wounded  and  died 
while  in  the  army. 

John  S.  Speas,  father  of  Professor  Speas,  was 
bom  in  Old  Richmond  Township,  April  11,  1847, 
and  during  the  war  was  a  member  of  the  Junior 
Reserve,  his  service  being  in  the  last  year  of 
hostUities.  He  was  educated  in  rural  schools,  and 
on  a  tract  of  land  given  him  by  his  father  he  has 
worked  out  an  independent  career  as  a  prosperous 
agriculturist  in  Vienna  Township.  His  success 
enabled  him  to  acquire  other  holdings,  and  he  has 
built  up  a  fine  farm  home.    John  S.  Speas  married 


THE  NE»'.'  ■ 

PUBLICUM,; 


•ASTOR.    L.    . 
fTILDfcL>i   IC'-rO' 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


23 


Mary  Frances  Douh,  who  was  born  in  Vienna 
Township  in  July,  1847.  Her  family  is  also  one 
of  the  interesting  ones  in  Western  North  Carolina. 
She  is  descended  from  Rev.  John  Doub,  a  native  of 
Germany  who  in  young  manhood  settled  in  Western 
North  Carolina  and  became  the  founder  of  Method- 
ism  :n  Forsyth  Cbuuty.  By  trade  lie  was  a  tanner, 
and  his  tannery  in  what  is  now  Vienna  Township 
wa-i  one  of  the  first  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the 
state.  The  first  Methodist  meetings  in  the  vicinity 
were  held  in  his  log  house,  and  he  was  a  lo<'al 
preacher  of  that  church.  His  son  Henry  Doub 
was  born  in  Forsyth  County,  and  that  was  also  the 
place  of  nativity  of  Elijah  Doub,  father  of  Mrs.  J. 
S.  Speas.  John  Doub  reared  children  named 
Michael,  Joseph,  Henry,  William  Peter,  Mary  and 
Lethia.  Henry  Doub'  was  a  lifelong  farmer  in 
Vienna  Township,  and  married  Betsy  Ward,  their 
children  being  Elijah,  Cannon,  Wesley,  William, 
Nancy,  Margaret,  '  Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Elijah 
Doub  was  also  a  farmer  throughout  his  active 
career  in  Vienna  Township.  He  married  Lucy 
Newsom  who  was  born  in  Guilford  County  and 
vurvived  her  husband  until  more  than  ninety  years 
of  age.  Their  children  were  named  Henry,  Wil- 
liam, Elizabeth  J.,  Margaret,  Mary  Frances, 
Newton,  Martha,  Edwin  and  Wiley.  The  son 
Henry  was  a  Confederate  soldier  and  was  killed 
at  Petersburg,  Virginia. 

John  S.  Speas  and  wife  have  reared  four  chil- 
dren named  William  Clarence,  Louie  Cornelia, 
Walter  Henry  and  Wesley  Bethel.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church. 

Wesley  Bethel  Speas  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Vienna  Township  of  Forsyth  County,  November 
30,  1875.  He  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities 
to  secure  a  liberal  education.  After  leaving  the 
rural  schools  he  prepared  for  college  at  Oak  Hill 
Institute,  and  in  1897,  he  entered  the  University 
of  North  Carolina  where  he  coinpleted  the  regular 
academic  course  in  1901.  His  first  teaching  was 
done  in  District  No.  3  of  Vienna.  Township.  The 
following  year  he  taught  in  the  Clemmons  High 
School.  He  became  known  not  only  as  a  success- 
ful individual  teacher  but  as  an  able  administrator 
and  a  leader  in  educational  affairs  and  those  we^e 
the  qualifications  that  caused  the  people  of  Forsyth 
County  to  choose  him  as  county  superintendent  in 
190.3,  "an  office  hj  has  held  by  re-election  to  the 
present  time.  He  is  now  president  of  the  Forsyth 
County  Teachers'  Association  and  is  a  member  of 
the  North  Carolina  County  Superintendents'  Asso- 
ciation. 

Mr.  Speas  was  married  in  1901  to  Miss  Louzana 
Long.  She  was  born  in  Old  Richmond  Township, 
a  daughter  of  Wiliam  Henry  and  Martha  Long. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  their  marriage, 
Margaret,  ajid  Martha  Louise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Speas 
are  members  of  the  West  End  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Winston-Salem,  and  fraternally  he  is 
afBliated  with  Salem  Lodge  No.  36,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

John  Bynum.  M.  D.  For  nearly  two  genera- 
tions the  capable  services  of  members  of  the 
Bynum  family  as  physicians  and  surgeons  have 
been  given  to  the  community  of  Winston  and 
Winston-Salem.  Dr.  John  Bynum  has  practiced 
there  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  his  name  is 
associated  with  the  best  attainments  in  the  pro- 
fession and  with  the  best  of  citizenship. 


Doctor  Bynum,  member  of  an  old  and  prominent 
family  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  was  born 
on  a  plantation  about  two  miles  from  Germanton 
in  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina.  His  great- 
grandfather. Gray  Bynum,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  married  Margaret  Hampton.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Anthony  Hampton  and  a  sister 
of  the  famous  Revolutionary  soldier  General  Wade 
Hampton.  Doctor  Bynum 's  grandfather  was 
Hampton  Bynum,  who  married  Mary  Martin.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Col.  John  Martin,  a  native  of 
Essex  County,  Virginia.  Col.  John  Martin  was 
twelve  years  of  age  when  about  1768  his  parents 
moved  to  North  Carolina  and  settled  in  Stokes 
County.  Of  Col.  John  Martin  much  has  been 
written  in  the  early  annals  of  North  Carolina. 
He  was  one  of  the  conspicuous  leaders  of  the  moun- 
taineers of  Western  Carolina  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Hampton  Bynum  became  an  extensive 
planter  in  Stokes  County,  and  lived  there  long  and 
prosperously. 

Dr.  Hampton  Wade  Bynum,  father  of  Dr.  John 
Bynum,  was  born  on  a  plantation  about  two  miles 
from  the  birthplace  of  his  son  John,  in  1823.  He 
was  liberally  educated  and  was  trained  for  his 
profession  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of 
Philadelphia.  After  graduating  from  that  institu- 
tution  he  began  practice  in  Stokes  County.  When 
a  young  man  he  was  given  by  his  father  a  planta- 
tion about  two  miles  from  Germanton,  and  lived 
in  that  country  district  a  number  of  years,  acquir- 
ing in  the  meantime  an  extensive  practice  through- 
out Stokes  and  Forsyth  counties.  He  was  a 
typical  pioneer  physician  and  endured  innumerable 
hardships  in  attending  to  his  practice.  He  was 
almost  constantly  on  horseback  and  rode  through 
all  kinds  of  weather  to  the  homes  of  the  sick.  In 
1869  he  removed  to  Winston,  where  he  was  one  of 
the  first  idiysicians  to  locate  and  was  successfully 
engaged  in  practice  there  until  his  death  in  1880. 
Dr.  Hampton  Wade  Bynum  married  Mary  Spease. 
She  was  born  in  Yadkin  County  April  1,  1828. 
Her  grandfather,  John  Spease  was  a  German  and 
spoke  only  his  native  tongue  in  his  own  hovne  and 
family  circle.  He  was  a  farmer,  owning  and 
operating  a  place  near  the  Yadkin  River  in  what 
is  now  Vienna  Township,  Forsyth  County.  In  that 
locality  he  spent  his  last  years.  Henry  Spease, 
father  of  Mary  Spease,  was  born  in  what  is  now 
Forsyth  County,  and  on  reaching  his  majority 
crossed  the  Yadkin  River  into  Yadkin  County  and 
acquired  an  extensive  plantation  in  that  locality. 
He  was  one  of  the  successful  men  of  his  time  and 
was  able  to  assist  each  of  his  twelve  children  to 
acquire  a  farm.  Henry  Spease  married  Anna 
Shore.  This  grandmother  in  the  maternal  line  of 
Doctor  Bynum  was  born  in  Vienna  Township 
February  10,  1789,  a  daughter  of  Johan  and 
Elizabeth  (Beckel)  Shore.  Doctor  Bynum 's  sister 
has  the  baptismal  certificate  of  this  grandmother, 
Anna  Shore.  Her  father  was  of  German  ancestry 
and  a  farmer  in  Vienna  Township,  where  he  and 
his  wife  spent  their  last  years.  Dr.  John  Bynum 's 
mother  is  still  livin.g  in  Winston-Salem.  She  reared 
nine  children:  Wade,  Hampton,  Gray,  Mary, 
Annie,  John,  Benjamin,  Pamelia  and  William. 

Dr.  John  Bynum  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Winston  and  for  his  medical  education 
went  to  New  York,  entering  the  University  of 
New  York,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  medical 
department   in   1892.      After   this   preparation   he 


24 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


returned  to  Wmston-Salem  and  has  been  continu- 
ously engaged  in  the  duties  of  a  large  professional 
practice  to  the  present  time. 

Doctor  Bynum  married  Miss  Eva  Hall,  who  was 
born  at  Wentwortli  in  Eoclcingham  County,  North 
Carolina,  daughter  of  James  and  Martha  Hall. 
Doctor  Bynum  and  wife  had  two  daughters,  Mar- 
garet and  Elizabeth.  Doctor  Bynum  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Forsyth  County  Medical  Society 
and  also  the  North  Carolina  State  Society  and 
the  American  Medical  Association.  In  1908  he  was 
elected  by  the  State  Medical  Society  as  examiner 
serving  six  years. 

Herman  Cummings  Catiness  had  established 
himself  in  successful  practice  at  Wilkesboro  soon 
after  his  twenty-first  birthday  and  in  his  case 
youth  has  proved  no  bar  to  rapid  advancement  and 
definite  achievement  in  the  legal  profession.  He 
is  now  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Wilkes  County  bar. 
He  was  born  at  EUerbe  Springs  in  Richmond 
County,  North  Carolina,  January  27,  1887.  The 
family  was  founded  in  America  by  his  great-grand- 
father, who  according  to  the  best  information  was 
a  native  of  England  and  came  to  this  country  a 
young  man.  He  located  in  Virginia.  The  family 
tradition  is  that  his  name  was  spelled  Cavendish. 
His  son,  the  grandfather  of  the  Wilkesboro  lawyer, 
changed  the  name  to  Caviness  because  of  some 
disagreement  with  otlier  members  of  the  family. 
It  was  Grandfather  Caviness  who  came  to  North 
Carolina  when  a  young  man  and  located  in  Moore 
County.  He  bought  land  about  twelve  or  fifteen 
miles  north  of  the  present  site  of  Pinehurst,  the 
noted  resort,  and  there  ran  a  plantation  with  the 
aid  of  slaves. 

Dr.  Isaac  W.  Caviness,  father  of  Herman  C,  was 
born  in  Moore  County,  North  Carolina,  in  1855. 
For  his  higher  education  he  attended  the  Vermont 
State  University  at  Burlington.  After  graduating 
there  he  taught  school  and  then  took  up  the  study 
of  medicine  and  was  graduated  from  Jefferson 
Medical  College  at  Philadelphia.  During  his  brief 
career  he  practiced  at  Keyser  in  Moore  County 
and  was  still  busy  in  his  work  when  deatli  stayed 
his  hand  in  December,  1887,  when  only  thirty- 
two  years  of  age.  He  married  Mary  Emma  Cum- 
mings, who  was  born  near  Pomona  in  Guilford 
County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Enos  and 
Mary  (Bollinger)  Cummings.  Herman  C.  was 
their  only  child.  The  widowed  mother  married 
for  her  second  husband  Walter  W.  Mills  of  Greens- 
boro and  had  a  son,  Walter  W.,  Jr. 

Herman  C.  Caviness  was  graduated  from  Guil- 
ford College  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen.     His 
work  in  college  was  characterized  by  a  keeness  of 
intellect  and  a  resourcefulness  that  enabled  him  to 
keep  up  with  young  men  much  older.     Wlien  he 
graduated  from  college  he  was  ready  to  undertake 
the   serious   responsibilities   of   life   and   in   June, 
1904,  a  few  days  after  leaving  the  halls  of  col- 
lege he  married   Miss   Gladys   E.   Benbow.     Mrs. 
Caviness    is    a    daughter    of    Lewis    S.    and    Lula 
(Henderson)    Benbow,   who   is   lineally   descended 
from  Thomas  and   Mary    (Carver)    Benbow.     Mr. 
and  Mrs.   Caviness  have  had   a  most  happy  mar- 
ried life  and  have  a  family  of  four  children  named 
Nellie,  Lewis  R.,  Merrill  and  Herman  Cummings, 
Jr.    Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Caviness  took  up 
the  study  of  law  and  was  graduated  from  the  law 
department  of  the   University  of  North   Carolina 
in  1908.    He  immediately  began  practice  at  Wilkes- 
boro and  his  success  and  reputation  are  now  as- 


sured. He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  and 
he  and  his  wife  are  active  in  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal  Church,   South. 

Fassifern,  a  home  school  for  girls,  which 
recently  closed  its  tenth  successful  year,  has 
gained  and  holds  a  place  as  one  of  the  distinctive 
preparatory  scliools  of  the  South.  It  represents  a 
happy  development  of  a  plan  for  giving  wholesome 
mental  discipline  and  practical  instruction  in  an 
environment  of  picturesque  buildings,  grounds  and 
landscape  charm  calculated  to  make  years  spent 
here  abundant  in  happy  associations  and  produc- 
tive of  the  greatest  good  in  real  culture  and 
character  formation. 

Fassifern  was  opened  in  October,  1907,  at 
Lincolnton,  North  Carolina.  In  October,  1914,. 
the  school  was  moved  to  HendersonviUe.  At 
Lincolnton  the  number  of  boarding  pupils  was 
limited  to  fifteen  and  the  total  number  had  been 
enrolled  within  a  month  from  tlie  opening  day. 
During  the  seven  years  in  Lincolnton  the  number 
was  increased  to  forty.  When  the  seliool  moved 
to  Hendersonville  it  had  sixty  boarding  pupils. 
The  curriculum  has  been  gradually  enlarged,  and 
since  1916  the  school  has  maintained  a  full  depart- 
ment in  home  economics.  In  the  ten  years  of 
its  existence  Fassifern  graduated  twenty  young, 
women  in  the  full  course  besides  various  certifi- 
cate students.  The  first  diploma  was  awarded  in, 
1913. 

Fassifern  is  distinctly  a  standard  preparatory 
school,  furnishing  the  facilities  of  instruction 
and  other  training  required  to  meet  the  require- 
ments and  standards  of  such  American  women's, 
colleges  as  Smith  and  Wellesley.  Fassifern  is  oii- 
the  accredited  list  of  the  Association  of  Southern 
Colleges,  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina  and 
of  Smith  and  Wellesley  and  other  similar  schools. 
The  departments  for  instruction  include  the  usual 
literary  and  language  departments,  a  business, 
course,"  and  special  departments  in  music,  art  and 
home  economics.  The  school  makes  a  specialty 
of  individual  work,  all  classes  being  small,  and- 
the  instructors  and  principals  paying  special  atten- 
tion to  the  particular  needs  of  each  pupil. 

The  school  home  is  a  stately  group  of  colonial 
buildings  standing  on  an  eminence  from  which 
some  of  the  finest  topograpliy  in  that  section  of 
North  Carolina  is  surveyed.  There  is  every  oppor- 
tunity and  encouragement  for  wholesome  outdoor 
life  and  recreation.  It  is  a  school  where  every 
vital  interest  is  carefully  safeguarded,  and  where- 
the  best  ideals  of  home  life  are  upheld  and 
stimulated. 

The  principals  of  Fassifern  are  Miss  Kate  C. 
Sliipp  and  Mrs.  Anna  C.  McBee,  and  assisting 
them  are  half  a  dozen  specialists  in  tlieir  particu- 
lar fields,  in  languages,  music,  art  and  domestic 
science.  Miss  Shipp,  who  has  charge  of  the  depart- 
ment of  mathematics,  is  a  woman  of  broad 
experience  as  an  educator  and  as  a  school  admin- 
istrator. She  has  a  teacher's  diploma  from  Cam- 
bridge University  of  England. 

David  N.  Dalton,  M.  D.  The  career  of  the- 
true  physician  is  a  life  of  service,  a  devotion  to 
the  well  being  of  his  fellow  men  such  as  no  other 
professions  require  of  their  practitioners.  One  of 
the  oldest  and  best  known  members  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  Forsyth  County  is  Dr.  David  N. 
Dalton,  who  has  practiced  continuously  at  Winston 
and  over  the  surrounding  country  for  over  35- 
years. 


>.^,  Ai£^ 


'3 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


25 


The  Dalton  name  has  many  associations  with 
early  history  in  Western  North  Carolina.  As  a 
family  they  have  been  soldiers,  fighters  for  the 
integrity  of  their  country  in  times  of  national 
danger,  and  effective  workers  in  whatever  field  or 
vocation  they  have  undertaken.  Doctor  Dalton  is 
descended  from  a  branch  of  the  family  which  was 
establislied  in  this  country  by  three  brothers  named 
Samuel,  William,  and  Robert,  who  were  natives  of 
Ireland  and  came  to  America  in  early  Colonial 
days.  After  a  brief  halt  in  New  Jersey  William 
and  Eobert  moved  to  Virginia,  while  Samuel 
became  the  ancestor  of  the  family  in  North 
Carolina. 

Doctor  Dalton 's  great-grandfather,  Capt.  David 
Dalton,  was  commander  of  a  company  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  was  with  the  victorious 
armies  under  Washington  which  participated  in 
the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  and  his  British  troops 
at  Yorktown.  Captain  David  married  Nancy 
Bostwick,  whose  father  had  served  as  a  colonel  in 
the  same  war.  After  the  war  Capt.  David  Dalton 
removed  to  North  Carolina  and  bought  land  in 
what  is  now  Stokes  County. 

Absalom  B.  Dalton,  grandfather  of  Doctor  Dal- 
ton, was  probably  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  acquired 
an  extensive  estate  as  a  planter  in  Stokes  County, 
North  Carolina,  had  a  number  of  slaves  to  look 
after  his  fields  and  the  other  work  of  his  farm, 
and  became  one  of  the  first  manufacturers  of 
tobacco  in  Stokes  County,  which  then  included 
Forsyth  County.  Grandfather  Dalton  remained  in 
Stokes  County  until  his  death  when  aljout  eighty 
years  of  age.  He  married  Nancy  Poindexter, 
whose  brother,  General  Poindexter,  was  a  promi- 
nent pioneer  lawyer.  Absalom  Dalton  and  wife 
reared  eight  children:  David  Nicholas,  John  F., 
George,  William,  Gabriel,  Robert  F.,  Christina  and 
Susan. 

David  Nicholas  Dalton  was  the  father  of 
Doctor  Dalton.  He  was  born  in  the  locality  known 
as  Pine  Hole  in  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina, 
grew  up  on  a  farm,  but  in  his  mature  manhood 
acquired  many  other  interests  and  became  one  of 
the  most  prominent  men  of  Forsyth  County.  After 
his  marriage  he  bouglit  a  plantation  near  Walnut 
'  Cove  in  Forsyth  County.  After  two  years  he 
removed  to  the  Village  of  Dalton,  where  he  bought 
property  and  became  a  mercliant.  He  also  erected 
two  floiir  mills,  one  at  Dalton  and  the  other  five 
miles  below  tlie  town.  Dalton  was  on  the  stage 
route  extending  from  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  to 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  It  was  a  noted  old 
thoroughfare,  and  before  railroads  became  common 
was  traversed  by  an  immense  volume  of  trafBc, 
which,  because  it  made  slow  progress,  afforded 
notable  opportunity  to  inn  keepers  and  others 
along  the  route.  David  N.  Dalton  kept  a  stage 
station  on  his  place  at  Dalton,  and  also  built  up  a 
large  system  of  what  would  now  be  called  stock- 
yards. Ho  had  accommodations  for  2,000  or  more 
cattle  and  also  yards  for  hogs  and  turkeys.  In 
those  days  all  live  stock,  including  turkeys,  were 
driven  over  the  highways  to  market.  One  of  his 
flour  mills  also  liad  machinery  for  the  manufacture 
of  lumber,  while  the  other  had  a  shingle  mill  run 
in  connection.  Besides  these  various  enterprises 
he  bought  large  tracts  of  land,  raised  crops  on  a 
large  scale,  and  was  a  dealer  in  live  stock,  includ- 
ing cattle,  horses  and  mules.  Necessarily  he  had 
to  delegate  much  of  his  business  to  other  parties, 
but  he  possessed  that  splendid  faculty  of  being 
able  to  oversee  and  practically  supervise  personally 


his  entire  range  of  interests.  He  continued  to  live 
in  Dalton  until  his  death  in  1895. 

David  N.  Dalton  married  Melissa  Rives,  who 
died  in  1866.  Her  father,  William  Rives,  was  a 
plaviter  in  Chatham  County,  North  Carolina,  where 
so  far  as  known  he  spent  all  his  life.  Mrs.  David 
N.  Dalton  reared  seven  children:  William,  Robert, 
Rufus  I.,  David  N.,  Jr.,  Ernest  L.,  Nancy  and 
Margaret. 

Dr.  David  N.  Dalton  was  born  at  Dalton,  North 
Carolina,  and  his  father  being  a  man  of  large 
estate  and  prosperous  circumstances  was  able  to 
give  him  the  best  of  advantages.  However,  he 
mingled  with  his  early  studies  a  practical  service 
to  his  father  in  the  mills  and  on  the  farm.  After 
making  known  his  choice  for  a  professional  career 
he  entered  in  1877  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina, where  he  carried  on  his  studies  two  years.  He 
began  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Thomas  W. 
Harris  of  Chapel  Hill,  North  Carolina.  Seeking 
the  broader  advantages  and  opportunities  of  New 
York  City,  he  became  a  student  in  the  medical  de- 
partment of  New  York  University  where  he  was 
graduated  in  1881. 

For  the  first  two  years  Doctor  Dalton  practiced 
at  Walnut  Cove,  but  since  then  has  had  his  home 
in  Winston-Salem  and  his  services  have  been  in 
constant  demand  over  since.  He  began  practice 
before  telephones  and  automobiles  came  into  a 
physician 's  life,  and  in  recent  years  most  of  his 
work  has  been  done  in  consultetion  in  his  own 
ofliee. 

Doctor  Dalton  was  married  in  1887  to  Louisa 
Wilson  Bitting.  Mrs.  Dalton  was  born  near  Hunts- 
ville  in  Yadkin  County,  North  Carolina,  daughter 
of  Joseph  A.  and  Louisa  (Wilson)  Bitting.  Her 
Grandfather  Wilson  was  a  prominent  physician  in 
his  day. 

Doctor  and  Mrs.  Dalton  have  three  children: 
Margaret,  Joseph  N.  and  Wilson  B.  Doctor  Dalton 
has  long  had  active  membership  in  the  Forsyth 
County  and  North  Carolina  Medical  societies.  He 
is  a  member  of  Damon  Lodge,  No.  41,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  is  a  Presbyterian,  while  Mrs.  Dalton 
is  of  the  Episcopal  faith. 

Cornelius  M.  McKaughan  has  for  a  number  of 
years  been  officially  identified  with  Forsyth 
County  and  is  now  serving  as  clerk  of  courts  at 
Winston-Salem.  He  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
men  in  the  courthouse  and  has  many  times  over 
justified  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  in 
reposing  in  him  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of 
public  affairs. 

Mr.  McKaughan  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Kerners- 
ville  Township  of  Forsyth  County  November  5, 
1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  Harrison  and  Esther 
(Robertson)  McKaughan,  a  grandson  of  Archibald 
and  Mary  (Welch)  McKaughan,  a  great-grandson 
of  Hugh  and  Phebe  (Pope)  McKaughan,  all  con- 
stituting well  known  names  in  the  history  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  Mr.  McKaughan 's  mother  was 
a  daughter  of  William  Haley  and  Mahala  (Lonus) 
Robertson. 

Cornelius  M.  McKaughan  grew  up  at  his  father  'a 
home  at  Kernersville,  attended  the  public  schools 
there,  and  from  the  high  school  entered  the  Oak 
Ridge  Institute  for  a  commercial  course.  His 
education  completed  he  accepted  the  position  of 
deputy  register  of  deeds  at  Winston,  and  gave 
faithful  and  conscientious  work  in  that  capacity 
for  six  years.  His  experience  made  him  the  logical 
candidate  for  chief  in  the  oflSce  and  he  was  elected 


26 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


and   served   one   term.      Followin?   that    for    four 
years  he   was  clerk  in   the  sheriff 's  office  and  in 

1915  was  appointed  elerk  of  the  courts  to  fill  the 
unerpired   term    of   R.   J\.    Transau,    deceased.      In 

1916  Mr.  McKaughan  was  regularly  elected  to  the 
ofiBce. 

He  was  married  October  4,  1906,  to  Leota  Reed. 
Mrs.  McKaughan  was  born  in  Old  Richmond  Town- 
ship, daughter  of  Elijah  L.  and  Perinelia  M. 
(Spease)  Reed.     They  have  one  son,  Robert  Steele. 

Mr.  McKaughan  is  affiliated  with  Fairview  Coun- 
cil No.  19,  Junior  Order  United  American 
Mechanics  and  with  Salem  Lodge  No.  36,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Calvary  Moravian  Church. 

Me.  Fred  M.  Pabrish,  born  in  1880,  Goochland 
County,  Virginia — father  Fred  M.  Parrisli,  mother 
Hattie  Lacey  Parrish.  Educated  at  Fork  Union 
Academy,  William  Mary  College  and  University  of 
North   Carolina.     Lawyer   in   Winston-Salem. 

Jefpeeson  Bostwick  Couxcill.  M.  D.  An  ac- 
tive and  prominent  member  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity of  Rowan  County,  Jefferson  B.  Couneill, 
M.  D.,  of  Salisbury,  has  often  been  identified  with 
important  work  in  connection  with  his  regular 
jjracticc,  his  wisdom  and  skill  in  dealing  with 
difficult  cases  having  gained  for  him  the  confidence 
of  the  entire  community,  and  placed  him  among 
the  leading  jihysicians  of  the  city.  A  son  of  Dr. 
William  B.  Couneill,  he  was  born  in  Boone,  Wa- 
tauga County,  North  Carolina,  of  English  ancestry. 

His  grandfather,  Jordan  Couneill,  was  born  in 
England,  and  came  with  his  parents,  and  his  two 
brothers,  Benjamin  and  Jesse,  to  North  Carolina, 
settling  in  Watauga  County  in  pioneer  days.  He 
assisted  his  father  in  clearing  a  homestead,  but 
did  not  care  to  continue  life  as  a  farmer.  Soon 
after  attaining  his  majority,  he  embarked  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  an  occupation  much  to  his  tastes, 
and  for  which  he  was  well  fitted.  At  that  early 
day  there  were  no  railways  in  the  Carolinas,  and 
all  of  his  goods  had  to  be  transported  with  teams 
from  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  to  Watauga 
County.  Very  successful  as  a  merchant,  he  ac- 
cumulated considerable  wealth,  acquiring  large 
tracts  of  land  and  many  slaves.  He  married  Sally 
Elizabeth  Bowers,  who  was  born  in  Ashe  County, 
North  Carolina,  where  her  parents  were  pioneers. 
They  reared  four  children,  namely:  James  W. ; 
William  B.;  and  Elizabeth,  who  married  Col.  G.  N. 
Folk,  a  prominent  lawyer,  who  served  as  a  colonel 
in  the  Confederate  army;  and  George  E. 

Born  in  Watauga  County,  North  Carolina,  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1829,  William  B.  Couneill  acquired  his 
elementary  education  in  the  schools  of  Caldwell 
County,  and  was  subsequently  graduated  from  the 
Charleston  Medical  College  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  He  began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Boone, 
but  soon  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he 
enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  as  a  private;  he 
won  promotion  from  time  to  time  through  bravery 
and  meritorious  conduct  until  being  made  captain 
of  his  company.  He  was  twice  wounded,  but 
escaped  capture,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
conflict.  Resuming  his  practice  in  Boone,  he  re- 
mained there,  an  active  and  beloved  physician 
until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Alice  M.  Bost- 
wiek,  was  born  in  the  Sumter  District,  South  Caro- 
lina, December  1,  1832.  She  is  still  living,  and 
though  upwards  of  four  score  years  of  age  enjoys 
good  health,  and  retains  her  interest  in  the  topics 


of  the  day.  She  is  the  mother  of  sis  children,  as 
follows :  Jefferson  Bostwick,  of  this  sketch ;  Wil- 
liam B.,  Jr.,  a  prominent  lawyer  and  judge  in 
Hickory,  North  Carolina ;  Margaret ;  Emma ;  Isaac 
Lenoir,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and 
mining  business  at  Waynesville,  this  state;  and 
Virginia. 

After  his  graduation  from  the  Finley  High 
School  at  Lenoir,  Jefferson  B.  Couneill  entered  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1884.  Beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession 
with  his  father  in  Boone,  he  remained  there  until 
1888,  gaining  knowledge  and  experience  of  great 
value.  Coming  from  there  to  Salisbury,  Doctor 
Couneill  has  since  built  up  an  extensive  and 
lucrative  practice,  and  has  won  an  assured  posi- 
tion among  the  leading  physicians  of  this  section 
of  the  state. 

Doctor  Couneill  married,  in  1899,  Bessie  Brandt 
Krider,  a  native  of  Salisbury.  Her  father,  Charles 
C.  Krider,  who  lost  a  leg  while  serving  in  the  Con- 
federate army,  was  for  many  years  sheriff  of  ^ 
Rowan  County,  holding  the  position  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Couneill  are  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Margaret  Eliza- 
betli,  Charles  Bower,  Jefferson  B.,  Jr.,  Catherine 
Stokes,  and  Alice  Virginia. 

The  doctor  is  an  active  member  of  the  Rowan 
County  and  the  North  Carolina  State  Medical  so- 
cieties, and  belongs  to  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Fulton  Lodge 
No.  99,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Ma- 
sons: and  of  Salisbury  Chapter  No.  20,  Royal  Arch 
Masons. 

jAiiE.s  Webb  Matthews.  In  the  expansion  of 
important  commercial  concerns  Rocky  Mount, 
North  Carolina,  holds  a  foremost  place  in  business 
development  in  Eastern  Nortli  Carolina,  and  a  very 
creditable  fact  is  that  tliey  have  been  founded  and 
fostered  by  local  capital  and  home  enterprise.  A 
commercial  house  here  of  solid  standing,  that  has 
developed  its  business  along  quality  lines,  is  tliat 
of  Matthews,  Weeks  &  Company,  of  which  .James 
Webb  Matthews,  one  of  Rocky  Mount 's  represen- 
tative citizens,  is  the  junior  jiartner. 

James  Webb  Matthews  was  born  at  Rocky 
Mount,  February  15,  1878.  His  parents  were 
Gideon  Taylor  and  Mary  E.  Matthews.  The  father 
was  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business  here 
for  many  years  and  was  '^""  of  the  city's  honorable 
and  respected  business  men. 

In  the  public  schools  and  at  Oak  Ridge  In- 
stitute James  W.  Matthews  secured  his  general 
educational  training  and  learned  the  principles 
of  business  while  associated  for  a  time  with  his 
father.  Later  he  became  connected  with  the  firm 
of  H.  E.  Brewer  &  Company,  wholesale  grocers, 
and  thereby  had  training  and  experience  which 
have  proved  exceedingly  helpful  since  embarking 
in  the  same  line  for  himself.  In  1899  he  found 
himself  in  a  position  to  enter  the  wholesale  trade 
and  established  the  J.  W.  Matthews  Wholesale 
Grocery  and  conducted  a  prosnerous  business 
under  "that  caption  until  1902,  when,  on  account 
of  the  gi'owth  of  the  same,  more  capital  was 
needed  to  expand  the  enterprise  advantageously 
and  a  partnership  was  formed,  which  combina- 
tion has  continued  until  the  present  date.  This 
is  one  of  the  largest  houses  in  its  line  in  this 
section  and  one  of  the  most  up-to-date.  Its  com- 
modities include  both  staple  and  fancy  groceries, 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


27 


.pure  food  laws  are  observed  in  the  stock,  and 
courtesy  aud  honorable  l.iusiuess  methods  are  rules 
of  the  "house.  Mr.  Matthews  has  additional  busi- 
ness interests,  the  Eocicy  Mount  Woodworking 
Company  being  one  of  tliese,  of  wdiieli  he  is  secre- 
tary. 

Mr.  Matthews  was  married  April  27,  190-i,  to 
Miss  Estelle  Weston,  who  was  born  in  Mathews 
County,  Virginia  and  is  a  daughter  of  Julius  A. 
Weston  who  is  a  substantial  farmer  in  that  state. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthews  have  two  children : 
Florence  Estelle  and  James  Webb  the  last  named 
born  December  12,  1912. 

Mr.  Matthews  is  a  man  of  public  spirit  and 
much  local  pride  and  his  main  investments  are  at 
Rocky  Mount.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
National  Bank  of  Becky  Mount  and  is  also  on  the 
directing  board  of  the  Rocky  Mount  Insurance  & 
Realty  Company.  Fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  order  and  belongs  also  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  As  a  business  man  he  is 
creilited  with  keen  insight  and  sound  judgment, 
and  his  everyday  life  with  his  fellow  citizens 
proves  neighborliness  and  good  will  and  ensures 
him  their  respect  and  esteem. 

Henry  Theodore  Bahnson,  M.  D.  A  life  filled 
with  untold  services,  beyond  all  human  reckoning, 
and  one  that  should  prove  a  lasting  inspiration  to 
the  living,  was  that  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  Theodore 
Bahnson  of  Winston-Salem.  North  Carolina  may 
well  take  pride  in  such  a  character,  and  there  is 
•reason  to  recall  and  remember  what  he  was  and 
what  he  did  even  more  than  the  careers  of  some 
men  who  had  perhaps  a  wider  newspaper  publicity. 
The  story  of  his  career  is  effectively  and  beauti- 
fully told  in  a  memoir  recently  read  by  Bishop 
Rondthaler,  and  with  only  a  few  changes  and  omis- 
sions the  following  is  substantially  Bishop  Rond- 
thaler 's  words. 

Dr.  Henry  Theodore  Bahnson  was  the  son  of 
Bishop  George  Frederick  and  Anna  Gertrude 
Pauline  (Conrad)  Bahnson.  He  was  a  member 
of  a  large  family,  all  of  whom  have  now  entered 
into  rest  with  the  exception  of  one  surviving 
brother,  the  Rev.  George  Frederic  Bahnson,  pastor 
of  the  Moravian  Church  at  Coopersburg,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Doctor  Bahnson  was  born  at  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania, on  March  6,  1845,  and  was  baptised  in 
his  infancy.  When  four  years  old  his  father  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Moravian  congrega- 
tion at  Salem,  North  Carolina,  where  in  after  years 
he  became  the  bishop  of  his  church,  rendering 
memorable  service  in  maintaining  hope  anil  courage 
among  his  people  during  the  terrible  ordeal  of  the 
Civil  War.  His  son  was  destined  to  become,  like 
his  father,  an  eminent  citizen  and  servant  of  this 
community,  which  throughout  his  life  he  loved  as 
his  home. 

As  a  boy  he  attended  the  old  Salem  Boys' 
School,  from  which  he  was  transferred  in  1858  to 
the  well  knowni  Mora^'ian  Institution  of  Nazareth 
Hall  in  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  passed  for  his 
further  education  into  the  Moravian  College  and 
Theological  Seminary  at  Bethlehem.  One  who 
remembers  him  from  those  early  years  recalls  his 
alert,  beautiful  face,  giving  promise  of  a  career 
which  a  long  life  has  now  worthily  fulfilled. 

The  year  1862  brought  with  it  for  him  as  for 
the  yoimg  manhood  of  the  country  a  momentous 
change.  Early  in  the  year  he  returned  home  and 
at    once    volunteered    in    the    Confederate    army. 


Then  came  the  stirring  years  of  service  under 
General  Lee  in  the  Army  of  Virginia.  He  was  at 
first  a  private  in  Company  G,  Second  North  Caro- 
lina Battalion  of  Infantry.  He  was  captured  at 
Gettysburg  and  imprisoned  in  Baltimore  City  jail 
and  Point  Lookout,  Maryland,  for  a  period  of  six 
months — a  brief  time,  it  is  true,  but  one  which 
sowed  the  seed  of  intense  suffering  in  many  a 
subsequent  year.  In  January,  1864,  he  was 
exchanged  and  in  the  course  of  the  year  was  trans- 
ferred into  Company  B,  First  North  Carolina  Bat- 
talion of  Sharpshooters,  in  which  he  became  known 
for  his  fearless  spirit  in  many  a  terrible  encounter. 
He  was  with  General  Lee  to  the  day  of  the  sur- 
render at  Appomattox,  bright,  active  and  unshaken 
to  the  very  last  hour  before  the  coming  of  disaster. 
It  was  in  this  final  struggle  that  he  was  appointed 
captain  of  the  sharpshooters,  but  in  the  confusion 
of  those  days  the  commission  could  not  be  deliv- 
ered and  he  laid  down  his  rifle  as  a  private — a.  fact 
to  which  in  later  years  he  often  referred  with 
pride. 

Paroled  at  Appomattox,  he  walked  the  long  way 
home,  arriving  weary,  sick  and  hungry  at  his 
father's  door,  after  being  given  up  for  dead,  in 
April,  1865.  Active  and  fearless  as  he  had  been 
on  the  great  scenes  of  warfare  and  deeply  inter- 
ested in  all  his  life  in  the  veterans  of  the  conflict 
and  in  their  memorial  occasions,  his  sympathetic 
spirit  shrank  with  a  peculiar  horror  from  what  he 
had  seen  and  endured,  so  that  for  years  he  could 
hardly  be  persuaded  to  refer  to  these  events,  and 
especially  to  his  own  part  in  them;  and  when  at 
last  the  ic«  was  somewhat  broken  his  occasional 
addresses  and  papers,  written  in  beautiful  and 
vivid  style,  breathe  out  a  tone  of  sympathy  for  all 
who  suffered  whether  with  him  or  against  him, 
wliich  make  them  to  be  among  the  choicest  pieces 
of  our  great  war  literature. 

The  war  over,  he  began  to  prepare  himself  for 
the  profession  which  he  had  chosen.  In  1867  he 
graduated  in  the  medical  course  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  and  received  in  addition  his 
diploma  in  practical  and  surgical  anatomy,  the  line 
in  which  he  himself  became  especially  eminent  and 
in  which  he  earned  the  lifelong  friendship  of  the 
great  specialist  under  whom  he  had  been  instructed. 
Dr.  D.  Hayes  Agnew,  of  Philadelphia.  Next  he 
went  abroad  and  studied  at  the  Universities  of 
Berlin,  Prague  and  Utrecht,  and  finally  returning 
home  in  1869  entered  upon  his  medical  practice  in 
Salem. 

His  long  service  is  a  part  of  the  medical  history 
of  his  community  and  of  Western  North  Carolina. 
The  writer  was  once  with  him  on  a  distant  pleasure 
journey,  when  a  child  was  presented  to  the  doctor 
with  a  pitiful,  distorted,  suffering  face.  We  can 
never  forget  how,  under  his  sympathetic  and  skill- 
ful touch,  the  signs  of  suffering  were  smoothed 
away.  A  quick  stitch  here  and  there  or  slight 
incision  gave  the  little  face  a  pleasing,  human  look 
once  more.  It  was  as  if  a  wonder  had  been 
wrought  before  our  very  eyes. 

So  he  went  in  and  out,  for  nearly  fifty  years, 
among  the  sick  and  suffering.  What  he  was  for 
the  needy,  for  the  widows,  for  God 's  ministering 
servants,  probably  no  one  will  ever  know  or  even 
guess  at  except  perhaps  some  pastor  whose  work 
might  lead  him  into  the  same  homes  and  on 
similar  occasions  for  service.  Some  thirty  years 
ago  he  became  the  house  physician  of  the  Salem 
College  and  Academy.  This  appointment  grew 
into  a  wide  field  for  his  particular  gifts  and  capa- 


28 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


bilities.  He  had  a  native  genius  for  diagnosis,  so 
perfected  by  long  study  and  practice  that  he 
became  a  very  precious  help  to  those  in  charge  by 
skillful  advice,  which  either  comforted  parents  at 
a  distance  or  warned  them  of  unexpected  dangers 
in  case  of  their  children.  He  loved  the  institution 
and  cherished  its  students.  As  a  lover  of  flowers, 
his  own  rich  stores  were  at  the  frequent  disposal  of 
the  academy  on  its  great  occasions  and  of  its 
pupils  in  times  of  illness.  His  last  notable  service 
was  in  the  spring  of  1916  when  he  led  the  com- 
pletely successful  effort  to  ward  off  a  threatening 
epidemic  from  the  college,  an  effort  so  wisely 
planned  and  carried  out  as  to  cause  the  commenda- 
tion of  federal  and  state  inspectors  and  to  deserve 
the  lasting  gratitude  of  the  institution  and  of  the 
community.  Such  a  career  naturally  called  for 
wide  commendation,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

He  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  surgeon  of  the 
Southern  Eailway  System  and  president  of  its 
Board  of  Surgeons  and  also  chief  surgeon  of  the 
Winston-Salem  Southbound  Eailway  Company. 
He  had  been  president  of  the  North  Carolina 
Medical  Society,  president  of  the  State  Board  of 
Health,  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Examiners, 
member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  State 
Hospital  at  Morganton,  member  of  the  American 
Public  Health  Association,  of  tlie  Tri-State  Medical 
Association,  honorary  member  of  the  Virginia 
and  other  medical  societies,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
departure  his  nomination  lay  before  the  National 
Board  of  United  States  Surgeons. 

He  was  the  first  commander  of  Piedmont  Com- 
mandery  No.  6  on  its  organization,  and  held  the 
office  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  Thirty- 
second  Degree  Mason  and  was  elected  to  receive 
the  thirty-third  degree,  but  was  prevented  by  cir- 
cumstances beyond  his  control  from  attending  the 
meeting  at  which  he  was  to  receive  the  degree. 

Of  the  many  fine  qualities  of  mind  and  heart 
that  have  already  been  alluded  to  the  one  that 
stands  out  as  most  characteristic  is  courage,  both 
physical  and  moral.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  con- 
victions, which  he  dared  maintain  with  force  and 
boldness.  He  was  no  trimmer.  And  his  was  more 
than  the  courage  that  flares  up  and  shortly  dies 
down — not  alone  the  gallantry  of  the  battle  field 
that  vpith  cheerfulness  faced  death  at  the  cannon's 
mouth,  but  also  of  the  finer  quality  that  for  years 
bore  with  fortitude  the  suffering  incident  to  a 
diseased  elbow  joint  and  for  months  the  heart- 
rending agonies  of  the  agina  pectoris  which  caused 
his  death. 

He  was  married  November  3,  1870,  to  Miss 
Adelaide  de  Schweinitz,  daughter  of  Bishop  de 
Schweinitz.  The  young  wife  was  quickly  called 
from  his  side  on  August  3,  1871.  His  second  mar- 
riage, on  April  14,  1874,  was  to  Miss  Emma  C. 
Pries.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  six  children. 
Two  of  them,  Henry  and  Carrie,  died  in  childhood. 
The  four  surviving  are:  Frederic  P.  and  Agnew 
Bahnson,  both  mentioned  on  other  pages;  Mrs. 
Holt  Haywood,  of  New  York;  and  Miss  Pauline 
Bahnson.  It  was  a  most  affectionate  family  circle 
and  one  in  which  helpers  and  dependents  were 
most  kindly  considered.  And  the  end  corresponded 
to  the  way  in  which  they  had  journeyed  together. 
Wife,  daughters  and  sons  were  in  constant  attend- 
ance in  and  around  the  sufferer 's  sick  chamber. 

Doctor  Bahnson  had  been  baptised  in  his 
infancy.  He  was  confirmed  in  the  First  Church 
of  Philadelphia  on  July  29,  1866.     His  religious 


convictions  had  been  deepened  during  the  war.  He 
had  read  the  Greek  New  Testament  through  from 
cover  to  cover  as  he  carried  it  in  his  knapsack 
through  the  weary  marches  of  the  long  campaigns. 
These  convictions  abode  with  him  for  a  lifetime. 
The  reading  of  the  scriptures  and  family  devo- 
tions were  steady  and  unfailing  rules  of  his  life, 
and  his  character  and  practice  of  his  profession 
corresponded  with  his  religious  Cliristian  views. 
He  entered  freely  into  religious  interests  and  was 
one  of  the  most  faithful  subscribers  to  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  He  dearly  loved  the 
church  of  his  father  and  mother;  served  in  its 
various  offices;  liberally  aided  in  its  work;  was  a 
member  of  its  college  and  seminary  boards  at  the 
time  of  his  departure. 

For  years  he  had  been  a  sufferer,  to  whom  occa- 
sional journeys  and  seasons  of  recreation  afforded 
but  partial  relief,  and  to  whom  outdoor  life, 
almost  to  the  end,  proved  to  be  the  main  and 
blessed  tonic  of  refreshment.  Amid  increasing 
physical  burdens  he  resolutely  continued  his  medi- 
cal work  until  on  September  8,  1916,  the  weary 
frame  had  to  cease  from  its  lifelong  toil.  Then 
with  fortitude,  with  faith,  and  with  the  promise  of 
the  grace  given  by  his  Saviour,  he  entered  into 
rest  January  16,  1917,  aged  seventy-one  years,  ten 
months,  twelve  days. 

Frederic  Fries  Bahnson.  A  son  of  the  late 
Dr.  H.  T.  Bahnson,  whose  life  work  has  been 
recorded  on  other  ])ages,  Frederic  Pries  Bahnson 
during  his  youth  had  an  ambition  to  follow  in  his 
father's  footstejis,  but  failing  eyesiglit  compelled 
him  to  give  up  his  studies  in  medicine  and  he 
turned  to  a  more  active  vocation  and  has  gained 
successful  prominence  in  the  field  of  electrical  and 
mechanical  engineering,  particularly  in  his  chosen 
field  of  air  conditioning. 

He  was  born  in  Winston-Salem  March  6,  1876, 
son  of  Dr.  Henry  T.  and  Emma  Christina  (Fries) 
Bahn.son.  He  prepared  for  college  in  the  Salem 
Boys'  School  and  entered  the  University  of  North 
Carolina  vrith  the  class  of  1S96.  He  was  gradu- 
ated Ph.  B.,  cum  laude,  and  for  the  next  few 
months  diligently  pursued  his  studies  in  medi- 
cine. On  being  obliged  to  discontinue  this  work 
he  took  up  electrical  engineering,  and  for  seven 
years  followed  that  work,  most  of  the  time  away 
from  his  old  home.  On  returning  to  Winston- 
Salem  he  was  for  five  years  associated  with  the 
P.  &  H.  Fries  Woolen  Mills,  then  for  two  years 
with  the  Briggs  Shaffner  Company,  mechanical 
engineers  and  machinists.  Since  then  Mr.  Bahnson 
has  been  head  of  the  engineering  department  of 
the  Normalair  Company  of  Winston-Salem,  de- 
voting his  time  to  problems  in  air  conditioning. 

He  was  married  in  1910  to  Blecker  Estelle  Reid. 
Mrs.  Bahnson  was  born  in  Charlotte,  North  Caro- 
lina, daughter  of  Edward  S.  and  Naunie  (Alex- 
ander) Reid.  They  have  two  sons,  Frederic  Fries 
Bahnson,  Jr.,  and  Edward  Reid  Bahnson.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bahnson  are  members  of  the  Home  Moravian 
Church.  He  served  as  secretary  of  the  committee 
which  drew  up  the  present  rules  of  the  Moravian 
"Congregation  of  Salem  and  Its  Vicinity,"  has 
served  on  boards  of  the  congregation  and  in  1917, 
was  made  an  elder  in  the  Home  Moravian  Church. 
He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  Masonry,  being 
affiliated  with  Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  is  Past  High  Priest  of 
Winston  Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Past  Commander  of  Piedmont  Commandery  No.  6, 
Knights  Templar.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Heating  and  Ventilating  Engineers, 
and  an  associate  member  of  the  American  Society 
of  Mechanical  Engineers. 

Agnew  Hunter  Bahnson.  One  of  the  leading 
mill  men  and  manufacturers  of  the  Winston-Salem 
industrial  community  is  Agnew  Hunter  Bahnson, 
who  found  his  real  work  early  in  life  and  has 
devoted  himself  to  it  with  a  spirit,  enthusiasm  and 
energy  that  sufficiently  well  accounts  for  his  rapid 
advancement  and  his  secure  position  when  only  a 
little  past  his  thirtieth  birthday. 

Mr.  Bahnson  was  born  at  Salem  March  10, 
1S86,  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Henry  T.  and  Emma 
Christina  (Fries)  Bahnson.  Of  his  father,  one 
of  the  greatest  physicians  and  kindliest  men  North 
Carolina  ever  had,  an  appropriate  sketch  appears 
on  other  pages  of  this  publication. 

The  son  was  liberally  educated  and  had  the  best 
of  home  training.  He  attended  private  school,  the 
Salem  Boys'  School,  and  in  1906  graduated  from 
the  University  of  North  Carolina.  For  the  follow- 
ing year  he  traveled  abroad,  and  then  with  all  that 
a  liberal  education  and  a  knowledge  of  the  world 
could  give  him  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship 
in  the  Mayo  Mills  at  Mayodan  in  Rockingham 
County.  As  an  apprentice  he  worked  for  65 
cents  a  day.  He  continued  his  apprenticeship  in 
the  Washington  Mills  at  Fries,  Virginia,  and  had 
not  been  there  long  when  he  was  advanced  to  the 
duties  of  the  loom  fixer.  After  a  few  months  he 
liecame  superintendent  of  the  Pomona  Mills  at 
Greensboro,  but  soon  resigned  to  become  agent  of 
the  Washington  Mills  at  Fries,  Virginia.  While 
there  he  was  not  only  agent  but  manager  of  the 
mills  and  store  and  also  the  town,  a  place  of 
1,800  inhabitants.  It  was  a  work  that  required 
great  executive  and  administrative  ability  and  he 
.  performed  his  duties  with  utmost  satisfaction  for 
two  years. 

Resigning,  he  was  engaged  in  the  sale  of  cotton 
mill  machinery  until  1912,  when  he  was  elected 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Arista  Mill  Com- 
pany at  Winston-Salem.  He  has  been  actively 
identified  with  that  large  local  corporation  ever 
since,  and  in  1915  was  elected  president  and  treas- 
urer. Tn  tlie  fall  of  1915  he  also  organized  the 
Normalair  Company,  and  has  been  president  of  this 
biisiness.  The  company  has  its  factory  in  Winston - 
Salem,  and  though  in  existence  less  than  two  years 
has  developed  a  flourishing  business.  Its  machin- 
ery products  are  shipped  to  all  the  states,  to 
Canada,  Mexico  and  Cuba,  and  to  six  other  for- 
eign countries.  The  company  maintains  offices  in 
New  York,  St.  Louis  and  Charlotte. 

Mr.  Bahnson  was  married  November  18,  1914, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Moir  Hill,  who  was  born  in 
Winston-Salem,  daughter  of  William  P.  and 
Elizabeth  (Ogburn)  Hill.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bahnson 
have  one  son,  Agnew  Hunter,  Jr.  They  are  active 
members  of  the  Home  Moravian  Church,  with  Mr. 
Bahnson  as  president  of  its  board  of  trustees.  He 
is  also  president  of  the  Moravian  Brotherhood  of 
the  Southern  Province  and  a  member  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  Board  of  Directors. 
He  is  an  officer  of  the  North  Carolina  Cotton 
Manufacturers '  Association. 

Douglas  Alexander  Nance  has  been  enrolled 
among  the  successful  members  of  the  Winston- 
Salem  bar  since  1911.    He  is  a  lawyer  of  thorough 


scholarship  and  mature  accomplishments,  and  has 
already  made  a  mark  in  the  profession. 

What  he  has  attained  has  been  due  to  the  energy 
of  his  own  nature  and  a  determined  ambition.  He 
w.as  born  in  a  log  cabin  in  Western  Prong  Tovvn- 
ship  of  Columbus  County,  North  Carolina,  and  he 
gained  his  education  largely  through  his  own 
efforts.  His  great-grandfather  Daniel  Nance  was 
a  native  of  England  and  on  coming  to  America  set- 
tled in  that  part  of  Bladen  County  now  included 
in  Columbus  County,  North  Carolina.  David 
Nance,  grandfather  of  the  Winston-Salem  lawyer, 
was  born  in  Columbus  County  and  was  a  farmer. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Shipman, 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Her  ancestors 
were  among  the  pioneers  of  Bladen  County.  The 
grandparents  reared  four  children:  Richard, 
M,arsha]l,  Edward  and  Alexander.  Of  these  Rich- 
ard was  a  Confederate  soldier,  died  during  the  war, 
and  was  buried  at  Wilmington. 

Alexander  Nance,  father  of  Douglas  A.,  was 
horn  in  Columbus  County,  North  Carolina,  in 
September,  1854,  and  has  made  farming  his  regu- 
lar vocation.  After  his  marriage  he  bought  a  tract 
of  land  in  Western  Prong  Township  and  started 
his  household  and  business  on  a  small  scale. 
Industry  and  good  judgment  enabled  him  to  meet 
the  critical  times  of  his  career  successfully,  and  as 
a  result  of  long  and  thorough  experience  he  la 
now  a  farmer  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  married 
Virginia  Douglas  Bridgers,  daughter  of  Eugene 
Bridgers,  and  they  have  reared  ten  children: 
Luther,  Sallie.  who  died  ,at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
Douglas  A.,  Claude,  Marshall,  Henry,  Richard, 
Alexander,  Laura,  and  Mattie. 

Douglas  A.  Nance  was  educated  in  the  rural 
schools,  in  the  High  School  of  Lumberton,  and 
prepared  for  college  at  Buiss  Creek  Academy.  He 
took  his  law  studies  in  Wake  Forest  College,  and 
in  1911  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Since  then  Mr. 
Nance  has  practiced  successfully  at  Winston  and 
his  achievements  as  a  lawyer  leave  no  doubt  as  to 
his  thorough   qualifications   for   the  profession. 

In  his  career,  both  at  home  and  in  his  profes- 
sion, he  has  been  ably  assisted  by  his  cultured 
wife.  Mrs.  Nance,  whose  maiden  name  was  Stella 
Elizabeth  Phelps,  was  born  in  a  log  cabin  in  Old- 
town  Township  of  Forsyth  County.  They  were 
married  in  1904.  Her  father  Melvin  Phelps  was 
born  in  McPherson  County,  North  Carolina, 
January  16,  1845,  and  when  only  seventeen  years 
of  age  he  entered  the  Confederate  Army  and  going 
to  the  front  participated  in  many  hard  fought 
battles  and  was  twice  wounded.  After  the  war  he 
settled  down  to  the  peaceful  occupation  of  farm- 
ing in  Oldtown  Township  and  besides  cultivating 
his  crops  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  His 
death  in  1900  was  due  to  an  accident  on  the  rail- 
road. Melvin  Phelps  married  Nancy  Paulina 
Grubb,  who  was  born  in  Oldtown  Township  in 
1857,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  <Aldridge) 
Grubb.  Her  father  was  a  farmer,  spent  his  life 
in  Forsyth  County,  and  her  mother  died  there  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four.  Mrs.  Nance  is  one  of  three 
children,  her  two  brothers  being  William  Ells- 
worth and  Roscoe  Drake. 

Mrs.  Nance  was  liberally  educated.  She 
attended  the  Winston  graded  schools  and  in  1898 
graduated  in  the  commercial  course  from  Salem 
Academy  College  and  from  the  literary  depart- 
ment in  1900.  During  the  summer  of  1916  she 
attended  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
North  Carolina.     She  had  also  studied  law  in  the 


30 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


office  of  her  husband,  and  in  the  summer  of 
1917  she  passed  the  examination  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  She  then  took  the  oath  in  the  Superior 
Court  before  Judge  W.  J.  Adams,  and  was  ac- 
corded the  distinction  of  being  the  first  woman 
to  be  sworn  in  as  an  attorney  at  Winston-Salem. 
She  is  now  associated  with  her  husband  in  prac- 
tice. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nance  are  active  members  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church.  He  is  affiliated  with  Twin 
City  Camp  No.  27  Woodmen  of  the  World,  Salem 
Lodge  No.  56,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  Liberty  Council  No.  .3,  Junior  Order  of  United 
American  Mechanics  and  Winston  Lodge  No.  449, 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  Evangeline  Rebekah 
Lodge  No.  27. 

Vestal  Taylor  has  spent  his  life  in  Surry 
County,  is  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but  for  many 
years  has  been  concerned  with  official  duties.  He 
is  a  former  county  siirveyor  and  register  of  deeds, 
and  the  people  of  that  community  have  looked 
upon  him  for  leadership  in  many  matters  of  im- 
portance. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  liorn  in  Westfield  Township  of 
Surry  County  October  29,  1870.  His  grandfather, 
Thomas  Taylor,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  on 
coming  to  North  Carolina  located  in  Westfield 
Township  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  where  he 
spent  many  years.  He  finally  sold  his  position  and 
with  his  wife  and  son,  Newell,  and  daughter,  Mary, 
moved  west  to  Utah,  where  he  and  his  wife  spent 
their  last  years.  Two  of  their  sons,  Martin  and 
Henry,  remained  in  North  Carolina. 

Martin  Taylor,  father  of  Vestal,  was  born  ac- 
cording to  the  best  information  obtainable  in 
Wcstlicld  Township  of  Surry  County.  For  his 
time  he  acquired  a  good  education,  and  was  a 
school  teacher.  He  bought  land  in  Westfield  Town- 
ship and  followed  general  farming  for  many  years. 
During  the  war  he  was  exempt  from  service  on 
account  of  physical  disability.  He  continued  to 
live  on  his  farm  until  his  death  in  1910  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five.  He  married  Mary  Ann  Sum- 
mers, who  was  born  in  Westfield  Township,  a 
daughter  of  .Jonas  and  Betsy  (luman)  Summers. 
Her  death  occurred  when  she  was  sixty-nine  years 
of  age.  Her  children  were:  Tizzie;  Martha,  who 
married  .Tames  Mclver;  Vestal;  Mickey,  who  mar- 
ried John  T.  Inman ;  and  Eliza,  who  married  Job 
McGee. 

Vestal  Taylor  during  his  childhood  attended  the 
district  schools  and  also  the  Mount  Airy  High 
School.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  taught  his  first 
term  of  school.  It  was  his  practice  to  teach  a 
part  of  each  year  and  the  rest  of  the  time  was 
spent  as  a  farmer.  Mr.  Taylor  located  on  his 
jiresent  farm  in  1910.  This  is  near  the  Village  of 
White  Plains.  Besides  general  farming  Mr.  Tay- 
lor has  deplt  extensively  in  horses  and  other  live- 
stock and  has  attained  a  substantial  business  posi- 
tion in  the  community. 

In  1892  he  married  Nannie  Nichols,  who  was 
born  in  Eldora  Township  of  Surry  County,  a  daugh 
ter  of  William  A.  and  Martha  (Marshall)  Nichols, 
The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  comprise  four 
children,  Bertie  P.,  Perry,  Alma  and  Herbert  R, 
The  daughter,  Bertie,  is  the  wife  of  Maurice  E 
Miller,  and  they  have  a  son,  Billy. 

Mr.  Taylor  has  for  years  lieen  one  of  the  lead 
ing  and  influential  reiiublicans  of  Surry  County. 
He   cast   his  first  presidential  vote  for  Benjamin 


Harrison.  Various  official  dignities  have  been  con- 
ferred upon  him.  When  he  was  a  very  young 
man  in  1893  he  was  elected  county  surveyor  and 
by  re-election  was  continued  in  that  office  for 
twelve  years.  He  was  then  elected  register  of 
deeds  and  served  four  years,  and  in  1912  was  a 
candidate  for  sheriff.  Throughout  his  official  and 
jirivate  career  Mr.  Taylor  has  been  a  constant 
advocate  of  good  roads,  and  at  the  present  time  is 
superintendent  of  roads  in  Mount  Airy  Township. 
He  is  also  chairman  of  the  Mount  Airy  Township 
School  Board,  and  was  one  of  the  men  chiefly  in- 
strumental in  establishing  the  high  school  at  White 
Plains  in  1916,  in  which  year  the  high  school  build- 
ing was  erected.  Mr.  Taylor  is  now  serving  as 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  re- 
]iublican  party  of  Surry  County. 

Tho.mas  Meares  Green,  M.  D.  Many  well 
earned  distinctions  have  come  to  Doctor  Green 
during  his  active  career  as  a  surgeon,  and  his 
reputation  is  by  no  means  confined  to  his  home 
City  of  Wilmington  but  has  brought  him  prom- 
inently before  the  medical  fraternity  of  the  state 
at  large. 

Doctor  Green  was  born  at  Wilmington  March 
28,  1879,  a.  son  of  William  Henry  and  Frances 
Iredell  (Meares)  Green.  His  father  was  a  drug- 
gist and  the  atmos|)here  of  that  business  no  doubt 
had  some  influence  over  Doctor  Green's  choice 
of  a  permanent  profession.  He  was  well  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  under  private  tuition 
and  in  the  Cape  Fear  Academy.  He  spent  two 
years  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  North  Carolina  taking  special  work  in  chemistry 
at  the  same  time.  Later  two  years  were  spent  in 
the  University  of  Maryland,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1900.  For  three  years  after  taking  his 
degree  he  was  employed  as  a  surgeon  in  the  hos- 
jiital  of  the  Maryland  University  and  St.  Joseph's 
of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  In  1903  Doctor  Green 
located  at  Wilmington,  and  his  work  has  been' 
almost  exclusively  in  the  field  of  surgery.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  surgical  staff  of  the  James 
Walker  Memorial  Hosjiital  and  is  a  surgeon  of  the 
Seaboard  Air  Line  Railway  Company. 

Doctor  Green  has  membership  in  the  New 
Hanover  County  Medical  Society,  the  Third  Dis- 
trict, the  North  Carolina  and  the  Tri-State  Medi- 
cal societies,  the  Southern  and  the  American 
Medical  associations.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cape 
Fear  Country  Club,  the  Carolina  Yacht  Clul),  is  a 
Chapter  Mason  and  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  be- 
longs to  the  college  fraternity  Sigma  Alpha  Epsi- 
Ion.  November  16,  190.5,  Doctor  Green  married 
Emma  West,  daughter  of  Henry  P.  and  Rebecca 
(Love)  West.  They  have  two  children,  Emma 
West  Green  and  Mary  West  Green. 

Walter  Reade  Johnson,  now  a  successful  mem- 
ber of  the  Winston-Salem  bar,  has  .spent  his  life  in 
this  section  of  North  Carolina,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  was  engaged  in  commercial  lines,  chiefly 
as  a  traveling  salesman.  He  has  succeeded  in 
building  up  a  very  fine  practice  and  is  a  man  of 
the  highest  standing  both  in  his  profession  and  as 
a  citizen. 

He  was  born  in  Yadkin  Township  of  Stokes 
County,  North  Carolina,  October  14,  1884.  He 
comes  of  old  Virginia  ancestry.  His  great-grand- 
father, William  Johnson,  was  born  in  Stokes 
County,  North  Carolina,  where  he  remained  during 
his  life,  and  bought    upwards  of    1,000  acres   of 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


31 


land  in  Yadkin  Township  of  Stokes  County.  His 
extensive  plantation  he  operated  with  slave  labor 
and  lived  there  until  his  death.  The  maiden  name 
of  his  wife  was  Temperance  Kiser.  Both  lived  to 
a  good  old  age. 

William  Wade  Johnson,  grandfather  of  Walter 
B.,  was  born  May  23,  1835,  and  inherited  from  his 
father  a  tract  of  land  and  subsequently  bought 
more.  He  followed  farming  all  his  life,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  owned  about  300  acres. 
During  the  war  he  was  a  member  of  the  Home 
Guard,  physical  disability  having  exempted  from 
active  service  in  the  field.  He  married  Susan 
Leake,  who  was  born  in  the  north  part  of  Stokes 
County,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Betsy  Leake, 
pioneers  in  that  section  of  the  state.  William 
Wade  .Johnson  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  his 
wife  living  to  the  age  of  eighty-two. 

James  Thomas  Johnson,  father  of  the  Winston- 
Salem  lawyer,  was  born  in  Yadkin  Township  of 
Stokes  County  November  8,  1857,  and  has  enjoyed 
a  substantial  position  as  a  farmer.  He  bought  a 
farm  from  his  father  a  half  mile  from  the  old 
homestead,  and  is  still  managing  it  as  a  general 
farming  proposition.  He  married  Regina  Edwards. 
She  was  horn  in  Yadkin  Township  of  Stokes 
County  May  23,  1863.  Her  grandfather,  Nathan 
Edwards,  was  a  native  of  Stokes  County,  where  he 
spent  his  life.  Her  father,  Solomon  Edwards,  was 
born  in  Stokes  County  in  1S40,  gave  his  active  life- 
time to  farming  and  also  served  as  coroner  and 
sheriff  of  the  county.  Solomon  Edwards  married 
Amelia  Ann  Westmoreland,  a  native  of  Stokes 
County.  Solomon  Edwards  died  in  1891,  while 
his  widow  is  still  living,  being  eighty-two  years 
old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  T.  Johnson  had  seven 
children:  Walter  Keade,  Claudia,  Mallie,  Nellie, 
Paul,  Eflae  and  Thelma. 

The  early  enyironment  of  Walter  Reade  Johnson 
was  his  father 's  farm.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  while  still  a  schoolboy  gained  his 
first  practical  knowledge  of  commercial  life.  His 
father  having  given  him  the  use  of  a  small  tract 
of  land,  the  boy  planted  a.  crop  of  tobacco,  and 
after  it  had  Ijeen  cut  he  took  it  to  Winston.  Here 
he  had  a  transaction  which  showed  his  judgment. 
The  dealer  offered  him  fifteen  dollars  and  also 
one-half  of  all  above  that  figure  that  the  tobacco 
would  bring  at  auction.  The  lot  sold  for  fifteen 
dollars  and  forty  cents,  showing  that  the  first  price 
was  a  fair  estimate  of  the  real  value.  After  a  few 
terms  in  the  district  school  Mr.  Johnson  attended 
the  Mountain  View  Institute  and  later  Dalton 
Academy. 

Wlien  nineteen  years  old  he  taught  a  term  of 
school  at  Corinth  but  soon  went  on  the  road  as  a 
traveling  salesman.  He  sold  goods  over  his  terri- 
tory until  1906,  and  while  he  made  a  good  living 
at  this  he  was  not  satisfied  to  continue  it  indefi- 
nitely. With  what  he  had  earned  he  entered  the 
University  of  North  Carolina,  where  for  a  time 
he  devoted  himself  to  special  studies,  and  then  took 
nri  the  regular  law  course.  He  was  graduated  in 
1909,  and  in  the  same  year  opened  his  office  in 
Winston-Salem. 

In  1910  Mr.  Johnson  married  Miss  Lou  MUhol- 
land.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  Statesville,  Iredell 
County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Newton  and 
Ella  (Edwards)  Milholland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John- 
son have  three  children :  Gretchen,  Dorothy  and 
Walter  Reade,  Jr.  They  are  active  members  of 
the  Brown  Memorial  Baptist  Church  of  Winston- 
Salem,  while  Mr.  Johnson  is  affiliated  with  Winston 


Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Mason, 
and  Winston  Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch  Masons. 
In  polities  he  is  a  democrat. 

William  H.  Marler  came  to  Winston  Salem 
when  a  young  man,  was  a  mercantile  clerk  for 
a  number  of  years,  got  into  business  on  his  own 
account,  and  has  been  steadily  building  up  a  busi- 
ness house  in  proportion  to  the  growing  importance 
of  Winston-Salem.  He  is  now  one  of  the  leading 
wholesalers  in  Western  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Marler  was  born  in  Jonesville  in  Yadkin 
County,  North  Carolina.  His  father,  Hon.  John  G. 
Marler,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  liberally 
educated,  and  on  coming  to  North  Carolina  became 
principal  of  the  Van  Eaton  School  at  Jonesboro. 
He  rapidly  gained  prominence  in  public  affairs, 
and  in  1870  was  elected  a  member  of  the  lower 
house  of  the  State  Legislature,  was  re-elected  in 
1872,  and  in  1874,  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate  for  the  Thirty-third  District,  includ- 
ing Yadkin  and  Surrey  counties.  His  public  serv- 
ice both  in  the  House  and  Senate  was  given  in 
the  stirring  times  of  Reconstruction  days.  When 
partisanship  was  at  its  height,  when  passion  and 
bitterness  were '  controlling  factors,  he  showed  a 
serene  and  unruffled  spirit  and  proved  of  inesti- 
mable value  to  the  constructive  work  of  the 
Legislative  body.  In  1876  he  was  re-elected  to  the 
Senate,  and  his  sudden  death  in  1877  occurred  while 
the  Senate  was  still  in  session. 

Senator  Marler  married  Sallie  Stimpson.  She 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1844  and  died  in  1915. 
They  reared  five  children:  William  H.,  Mamie, 
Blanch,  Dr.  J.  J.  and  Sallie. 

William  H.  Marler  had  the  advantages  of  the 
public  schools  of  Yadkin  County,  including  the 
Whittington  School  at  Jonesboro  taught  by  Prof. 
T.  H.  Whittington.  He  was  eighteen  years  of  ago 
when  he  came  to  Winston,  and  he  learned  business 
in  a  practical  fashion  as  clerk  in  the  retail  store 
of  J.  F.  Gilmer.  The  six  years  he  spent  in  that 
capacity  were  years  of  hard  work,  of  faithful 
attention  to  his  duties  and  a  growing  responsibility 
and  capacity.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  became 
a  partner,  linder  the  name  Gilmer  &  Marler.  Five 
years  later  Mr.  Gilmer's  sons  were  admitted  to 
the  firm,  which  took  the  new  title  of  Gilmer,  Marler 
&  Company.  The  business  became  both  retail  and 
wholesale."  After  a  few  years  Mr.  R.  E.  Dalton 
was  admitted  to  the  firm  and  not  long  afterward 
the  Gilmer  brothers  sold  their  interests,  and  the 
house  was  incorporated,  with  Mr.  Marler  as  presi- 
dent and  treasurer.  In  July,  1915.  Mr.  Marler 
sold  his  interest  in  that  concern  and  in  January, 
1916,  esta,blished  himself  in  the  wholesale  busi- 
ness, chiefly  as  a  jobber,  selling  direct  to  the  trade 
from  the  factories.  His  house  now  handles  the 
products  of  several  local  mills,  and  his  salesmen 
cover  a  territory  over  several  southern  states. 

Mr.  Marler  was  married  June  5,  1886,  to  Miss 
Ella  George.  Mrs.  Marler  was  born  in  Winston- 
Salem,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Martha  (Bowman) 
George.  They  have  reared  five  children,  named 
William  G.,  Grady,  Evelyn,  Robert  and  Ralph.  Mr. 
Marler  is  one  of  the  stewards  of  the  West  End 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  South.  He  is  affili- 
ated with  Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons. 

KiMBRO  M.  Thompson.  Noteworthy  among  the 
esteemed  and  respected  residents  of  Jonesville, 
Yadkin    County,   is    Kimbro    M.    Thompson,    who 


32 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


lor  many  years  was  an  importaut  factor  in  promot- 
ing the  mercantile  and  business  interests  of  the 
community  in  which  he  now  lives.  A  native  of 
Surry  County,  he  was  born,  February  1,  1859,  on 
a.  farm  lying  four  miles  southeast  of  Mount  Airy, 
North  Carolina.  His  father,  Cohmibus  Thompson, 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Surry  County,  about  ten 
miles  west  of  Dobson,  and  his  grandfather,  Elijah 
Thompson,  was  born  in  the  same  locality. 

Joseph  Thompson,  the  great-grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  married  Isabella  Henderson, 
of  Albemarle  County,  Virginia,  and  with  his  bride 
came  to  North  Carolina,  settling  as  a  pioneer  in 
Surry  County.  In  1780  he  erected  a  substantial 
frame  house,  the  boards  used  being  whip  sawed, 
while  all  of  the  nails  were  hand  wrought.  With 
the  assistance  of  slaves  he  cleared  and  improved 
a  good  farm,  on  which  he  and  his  wife  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  years. 

Elijah  Thompson  learned  the  trade  of  a  tan- 
ner when  young,  and  also  acquired  proficiency  as 
a  farmer  while  living  with  his  parents.  Subse- 
quently buying  land  on  Mitchell 's  River,  three 
miles  below  the  parental  homestead,  he  operated, 
with  slave  labor,  a  tannery,  and  his  farm.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  but  other- 
wise resided  on  his  plantation  until  his  death,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  He  married  Martha 
Cleveland  Franklin,  a  daughter  of  Shadrach  and 
Judith  (Talliferio)  Franklin,  and  granddaughter 
of  Bernard  and  Mary  Franklin.  Eight  children 
were  born  of  their  union,  as  follows :  Benjamin, 
Columbus,  Kimbro,  Sally,  Shadrach,  Mary  F., 
Bettie,  and  Kittie  L. 

Columlius  Tliompson  became  an  expert  tanner 
and  farmer  under  his  father's  wise  training.  Soon 
after  attaining  his  majority,  he  bought  a  farm 
four  miles  southeast  of  Mount  Airy,  and  there 
established  a  tannery  which  he  operated  in  con- 
nection with  general  farming,  during  the  progress 
•of  the  Civil  war  being  detailed  to  furnish  leather 
and  other  supplies  to  the  army.  He  lived  to  the 
ripe  old  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  dying  on  the 
home  farm.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Mary  A.  Cockerham.  She  was  born  in  Surry 
■County,  Mitchells  River,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Polly  (Marshall)  Cockerham.  She  died  in  1868, 
leaving  three  children,  Mary  Jane,  Kimliro  M.  and 
Benjamin  H.  Mary  Jane,  married  Columbus  F. 
McMickel ;  to  this  union  four  children  were  born : 
John,  Addie,  Kittie  and  Sallie;  John  married  Mal- 
lie  Coruett  of  Virginia,  Kittie  married  Peter 
Beamcr  of  Mount  Airy,  North  Carolina;  Sallie 
married  Frank  Thompson  of  Kapps  Mills,  Surry 
County.  Benjamin  H.  married  America  Bryan, 
daughter  of  Gen.  John  Q.  A.  and  Martha  Bryan,  of 
near  Traphill,  Wilkes  County,  North  Carolina.  To 
this  union  was  born  two  children,  B.  Harton  and 
Mary  Atholene. 

Acquiring  a  practical  education  in  the  district 
school,  Kimbro  M.  Thompson,  while  assisting  his 
father,  became  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  vari- 
ous branches  of  agriculture,  and  also  with  the 
tanner 's  trade.  When  he  had  attained  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years,  his  father  gave  him  land  lying 
on  Mitchells  River,  about  two  miles  from  the 
farm  on  which  his  great-grandfather  once  lived. 
Mr.  Thomjison  had  learned  surveying  when  young, 
and  subsequently  for  twelve  years  he  served  as 
county  surveyor  in  Surry  County.  Superintending 
the  work  of  his  farm,  he  lived  upon  it  until  1900, 
when  he  sold  that  estate,  and  settled  in  Yadkin 
County.     Purchasing   property   in  Jonesville,   Mr. 


Thompson  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and 
continued  in  business  as  a  merchant  until  1916, 
meeting  with   success   in   his   operations. 

On  September  4,  1887,  Mr.  Thpnipson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Emma  Frances  Bryan. 
She  was  born  in  Alleghany  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, a  daughter  of  Francis  and  Bettie  (Moore) 
Bryan,  and  granddaughter  on  the  paternal  side 
of  Thomas  and  Nancy  (Baugus)  Bryan,  natives 
of  Wilkes  County,  this  state,  while  on  the  ma- 
ternal side  she  was  a  granddaughter  of  Benjamin 
and  Susan  (Barber)  Moore.  The  Bryan,  Moore 
and  Barber  families  were  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  the  northwestern  part  of  North  Carolina 
and  Southern  Virginia. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  four  children, 
namely:  Alonzo  A.,  Grove  L.,  Mabel  A.,  and  Rosa 
E.  Alonzo  A.  married  Lizzie  Burgess  of  Ten- 
nessee; Grove  L.  married  Mabel  Finney,  daughter 
of  Wesley  and  Mary  (Adams)  Finney,  arid  they 
have  one  child,  Dorris  Lee.  On  October  1,  1917, 
Grover  was  drafted  into  the  National  army.  He 
was  sent  to  Camp  Jackson,  but  after  staying  there 
awhile,  was  selected  as  an  expert  machinist  to  go 
to  Camp  Hancock,  Augusta,  Georgia,  after  remain- 
ing there  two  months  he  was  sent  to  Camp  Mer- 
ritte.  New  Jersey,  sailing  for  France  on  February 
20,  1918.  Mabel  A.  married  Wonderfer  A.  Finney, 
son  of  Franklin  and  Laura  (Martin)  Finney. 
Rosa  E.  married  Richard  C.  Minnish,  son  of  WU- 
liam  and  Annie  L.  (Brendle)  Minnish,  to  this 
union  three  children  have  been  born.  Iris  Evelyn, 
Russell  Bryan,  and  Mabel  Frances. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Thompson  is  a  non-affiliating 
member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order 
of  Masons,  and  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

Addi.son  Guy  RiCAtro.  The  position  of  Addi- 
son Guy  Ricaud  as  a  member  of  the  Wilmington 
bar  is  tersely  and  well  set  forth  in  an  endorsement 
signed  by  a  large  majority  of  the  most  prominent 
members  of  the  Wilmington  bar  urging  Mr. 
Ricaud 's  appointment  to  the  vacancy  on  the  bench 
of  the  Eighth  Judicial  Circuit  in  1915.  A  para- 
graph of  this  endorsement  reads  as  follows :  ' '  Mr. 
Ricaud  is  a  lawyer  of  wide  and  varied  experience 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession ;  is  a  man  of 
marked  ability;  a  gentleman  of  high  character; 
is  in  the  prime  of  life;  and  we  believe,  if  ap- 
jiointed,  he  will  discharge  the  duties  of  the  high 
office  with  great  abUity  to  himself  and  to  the 
State. ' ' 

Another  candidate  was  given  the  preference  in 
the  appointment  as  judge  of  the  Superior  Court, 
but  the  opinion  entertained  by  his  eminent  fellow 
lawyers  of  his  ability  has  made  him  none  the  less 
valuable  as  a  citizen  of  Wilmington  and  his  po- 
sition as  a  lawyer  has  long  been  assured. 

He  was  born  in  Washington,  North  Carolina, 
December  11,  1858,  a  son  of  Thomas  Page  and 
Anna  M.  (King)  Ricaud.  His  father  was  a  prom- 
inent minister  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  for 
over  fifty  years,  beginning  about  1845,  was  con- 
nected with  the  North  Carolina  Conference. 

Mr.  A.  G.  Ricaud  obtained  his  early  education  in 
the  Albermarle  High  School,  in  Olin  College,  and 
pursued  the  study  of  law  under  the  late  Governor 
D.  L.  Russell.  Upon  his  admission  to  the  bar  in 
January,  1879,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
C4overnor  Russell,  and  they  were  associated  on 
terms  of  mutual  agreeability  and  profit  for  ten 
years.     For  a   time   his   partner  was   Solomon   C. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


33 


Weill.  Mr.  Eieaud  in  1898  moved,  to  New  York 
City,  and  during  the  ten  years  spent  there  had  a 
wide  and  varied  metropolitan  experience  as  a 
lawyer.  Since  1908  he  has  resumed  his  place  in 
the  bar  of  Wilmington,  and  handles  a  large  gen- 
eral practice. 

He  has  always  been  active  in  the  interests  of 
the  democratic"  party,  which  was  the  partisan 
faith  of  his  ancestors,  and  has  rendered  valuable 
service  to  his  home  municipality.  He  served  as 
mayor  of  Wilmington  from  1891  to  189o,  and  was 
also   an   alderman   for   two   years. 

On  September  11,  1900,  he  married  Mrs.  Marion 
M.  (Murrell)  Palfrey,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky. 

Ellis  H.  Spainhour,  M.  D.  Winston-Salem  has 
had  one  of  its  most  capable  physicians  and  sur- 
geons in  the  person  of  Doctor  Spainhour,  who  came 
to  this  city  during  the  calamitous  times  of  the 
smallpox  epidemic  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
ago.  He  rendered  a  notable  service  at  the  time  in 
effectively  controlling  the  epidemic  and  has  ever 
since  been  advantageously  situated  as  a  physician 
and  as  a  public  spirited  citizen. 

Doctor  Spainhour  represents  one  of  the  very 
old  families  of  Western  North  Carolina.  He  is 
descended  from  one  of  two  brothers,  Avon  and 
Joseph,  who  were  pioneers  of  Stokes  County.  The 
name  at  different  times  was  spelled  in  different 
ways.  The  first  record  shows  that  John  Spoen- 
hauer  came  to  North  Carolina  in  1755.  In  the  first 
United  States  census  of  North  Carolina,  taken  in 
1790,  the  name  is  spelled  Spanehaur. 

Doctor  Spainhour  was  born  on  a  farm  in  old 
Richmond  Township  of  Forsyth  County,  North 
Carolina.  His  grandfather,  Solomon  Spainhour, 
was  a  native  of  Stokes  County  and  the  father, 
William  Windom  Spainhour,  was  born  near  Dalton 
in  Stokes  County.  Grandfather  Spainhour  kept  a 
stage  station  near  Dalton,  also  operated  a  farm, 
and  as  was  true  of  many  of  the  early  ssttlers 
operated  a  distillery.  He  married  a  Miss  Conrad, 
also  of  pioneer  stock.  Both  lived  to  a  good  old 
age.  They  reared  three  sons,  Theophilus,  William 
W.  and  Wesley,  and  daughters  named  Harriet  and 
Amelia.  Theophilus  settled  a  few  miles  from  the 
homestead  on  the  Little  Yadkin  River,  while  Wes- 
ley went  out  to  Iowa. 

William  W.  Spainhour  grew  up  on  the  old  farm 
in  Stokes  County,  acquired  knowledge  of  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  after  leaving  home  bought  land 
about  four  miles  from  his  father.  There  he 
engaged  in  general  farming,  but  with  his  brother 
Theophilus  he  also  owned  and  operated  a  custom 
flour  mill.  In  that  locality,  with  growing  honor 
and  prosperity,  he  lived  until  his  death  at  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy-nine.  He  married 
Pamelia  Grabbs.  She  was  born  at  Bethania,  then 
located  in  Stokes  County.  Her  father  was  John 
Grabbs  and  her  mother  a  Miss  Shore,  both  being 
of  early  German  ancestry.  Pamelia  Grabbs  had 
a  brother  Edwin  and  two  sisters,  Felicia  and 
Gelina.  Pamelia  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  W.  Spainhour  reared  nine  chil- 
dren: Eben  F.,  Ellen,  John  S.,  Edward  G., 
Seaton  B.,  Laura  F.,  William  W.,  Ellis  H.  and 
Alice  C,  the  last  two  being  twins. 

While  his  life  work  has  been  in  towns  and  con- 
nection with  professional  affairs,  Doctor  Spain- 
hour  grew  up  in  a  rural  atmosphere.  He  attended 
district  schools,  also  the  Dalton  Institute  and  the 
Pinnacle  Academy,  located  a  few  miles  from  Dal- 
ton,  and   on   seriously   beginning   the   preparation 


tor  medicine  he  entered  the  Baltimore  Medical 
College,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  Doctor  Spain- 
hour  satisfactorily  completed  his  course  anB  was 
given  his  degree  in  1898.  For  a  year  or  so  he 
practiced  at  Oldtown,  but  in  1900,  upon  the  break- 
ing out  of  smallpox  in  Winston,  he  came  to  this 
city  and  accepted  the  dangerous  and  difficult  posi- 
tion of  city  health  ofBcer.  The  duties  of  that 
position  having  been  satisfactorily  discharged  he 
remained  at  Winston  in  general  practice. 

He  is  a  man  of  broad  interests  and  generous 
sympathies.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Forsyth 
County  Medical  Society,  the  North  Carolina  State 
Medical  Society,  the  Southern  Medical  Society  and 
the  American  Medical  Association.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Sociological  Congress.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Salem  Lodge  No.  36, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Salem  Encamp- 
ment No  20,  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  Evangeline 
Rebekah  Lodge  No.  27. 

James  Orr  Cobb  is  one  of  the  most  progressive 
and  energetic  of  the  younger  business  element  at 
Winston-Salem,  where  he  is  officially  identified  with 
several  of  the  well-known  business  organizations. 

He  was  born  in  Greensboro,  North  Carolina,  Oc- 
tober 12,  1892,  a  son  of  James  S.  Cobb,  a  native 
of  Caswell  County  and  a  grandson  of  Henry  W. 
Cobls  Henry  W.  Cobb,  who  was  of  English  ances- 
try, had  a  plantation  in  Caswell  County  and  died 
there  in  the  prime  of  life,  leaving  his  son  James 
S.  and  four  other  sons  to  assist  the  widowed 
mother  in  the  management  of  the  farm.  James  S. 
Cobb  spent  his  early  life  on  the  plantation,  acquired 
a  good  business  education,  and  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Greensboro  to  engage  in  the  business 
of  buying  and  selling  leaf  tobacco.  That  busi- 
ness he  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  and 
now  has  charge  of  the  purchasing  department  of 
the  Liggett  Myers  Company  of  St.  Louis.  James 
S.  Cobb  married  Nannie  Orr,  who  was  born  in 
Caswell  County,  daughter  of  Ezekiel  and  Annie 
(Forrest)  Orr  of  Scotch  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
James  S.  Cobb,  have  four  children:  James  Orr, 
Annie  Forrest,  Mary  Howard  and  John  B. 

A  liberal  education  preceded  Mr.  James  O. 
Cobb 's  entrance  into  business  affairs.  He  attended 
public  school  at  Greensboro,  Winston-Salem,  Rich- 
mond,  Virginia,  and  Durham,  North  Carolina,  and 
is  a  graduate  with  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  sci- 
ence from  Davidson  College.  Following  that  he 
took  postgraduate  courses  in  economics  at  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Cobb  located  at  Winston-Salem  in  the  fall 
of  191.3,  and  at  once  entered  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness. He  is  now  an  official  member  of  the  fol- 
lowing organizations:  President  of  the  Leake- 
Cobb  Company,  real  estate;  president  of  the  Serv- 
ice Insurance  Company;  president  of  the  Standard 
Improvement  Company  of  Winston-Salem;  vice 
president  of  the  Citizens  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation; president  of  the  Corner  Building  Com- 
pany; president  of  the  Home  Agency  Company  of 
Durham ;  vice  president  of  the  Jas.  T.  Catlin  &  Sou 
Co.  of  Danville,  Virginia;  vice  president  of  Bar- 
ber &  Cobb,  Inc.,  Winston-Salem ;  and  president 
of  the  Mecklenburg  Spring  Company  of  Mecklen- 
burg County,  Virginia.  Mr.  Cobb  is  also  well 
known  in  social  and  club  life  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Twin  City  Club  and  the  Forsyth  Country  Club. 
In  1918  Mr.  Cobb  expects  to  enter  the  army. 


34 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Hon.  John  Henry  Clement  of  Mocksville  was 
bom  on  a  farm  four  miles  from  that  town  in 
Davie  County  October  1,  1828.  While  now  suffer- 
ing the  infirmities  of  old  age,  he  deserves  a  tribute 
as  one  who  played  a  prominent  part  in  his  active 
career. 

His  father,  Godfrey  Clement,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  locality  and  his  grandfather,  Henry  Clem- 
ent, was  born  in  Germany  and  was  one  of  three 
brothers  to  come  to  America.  Henry  Clement 
bought  land  a  mile  south  of  the  present  site  of 
Mocksville,  and  was  an  extensive  planter  with  the 
aid  of  slaves  until  his  death.  He  reared  four  sons 
named  John,  Henry,  Godfrey  and  Jesse,  and  two 
daughters,  Polly  and  Sallie.  Godfrey  Clement 
spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  in  what  is  now  David 
County,  and  died  about  1831,  when  John  H.  was 
three  years  of  age.  The  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Elizabeth  Brown,  survived  her  husband 
only  a  few  years. 

John  H.  Clement  attended  the  rural  schools 
during  his  youth  and  ill  health  compelled  him  to 
forego  the  privileges  of  a  college  education.  In 
May,  1862,  he  went  into  the  Confederate  army  as 
a  member  of  Company  F,  Forty-second  North 
Carolina  troops,  and  was  with  that  regiment  in  its 
many  battles  in  Virginia  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Mr.  Clement  reached  home  on  May  10,  1865, 
and  then  lived  on  the  old  homestead  farm  until 
his  marriage  to  Mary  Emily  Foster,  daughter  of 
Berry  and  Emily  Foster.  Mrs.  Clement  died  in 
November,  1915.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  chU- 
dren,  Mary,  John  H.,  Foster,  Abram,  Fred  and 
Sarah. 

Mr.  Clement  was  for  many  years  prominent  in 
public  affairs.  He  represented  his  party  in  the 
Legislature  in  1866-67  and  in  the  Senate  in  1876-77. 
He  has  also  served  as  a  county  commissioner.  He 
and  his  wife  long  had  an  active  part  in  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  South.  . 

Joseph  "Wallace  Little.  A  large  fund  of 
sound  natural  ability  plus  a  very  energetic  appli- 
cation to  his  preliminary  work  brought  Joseph 
Wallace  Little  to  membership  in  the  North  Caro- 
lina bar  before  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  February,  1907, 
and  his  twenty-first  birthday  was  April  30  of 
the  same  year.  His  early  education  was  received 
in  the  public  schools  and  the  North  Carolina 
Military  Academy  at  Red  Springs,  and  also  a 
business  college  course  at  Richmond,  Virginia.  He 
earned  his  own  living  while  studying  the  law 
privately,  being  employed  as  a  stenograi)her,  ami 
thus  be  brought  to  his  jiractice  a  thorough  train- 
ing in  self  reliance.  In  the  past  ten  years  he  has 
come  to  a  very  secure  position  as  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  Wilmington,  and  has  also 
formed  some  important  Ijusiness  relations. 

Mr.  Little  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  County, 
North  Carolina,  a  son  of  Junius  Warren  and  Eliza- 
beth S.  (McKenzie)  Little.  His  father  was  a 
farmer,  and  the  son  spent  his  early  years  at  the 
old  homestead. 

Mr.  Little  is  now  vice  president  of  the  Home 
Savings  Bank  of  Wilmington,  president  of  the 
Wilmington  Printing  Company,  president  of  the 
Pythian  Castle  Hall  Corporation,  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Progressive  Building  &  Loan 
Association.  He  is  also  prominent  in  politics, 
having  served  as  chairman  of  the  New  Hanover 
County  Democratic  Committee  and  as  a  member 
of  the  State  Democratic  Committee,  and  in   1916 


was  candidate  for  Congress  from  tlie  Sixth  Con- 
gressional  District. 

He  is  the  New  Hanover  County  chairman  of  the 
National  War  Savings  Committee,  a  member  of 
the  North  Carolina  Bar  Association,  the  American 
Bar  Association,  the  Cape  Fear  Club,  the  Cape 
Fear  Country  Club,  the  Carolina  Yacht  Club,  and 
fraternally  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Junior  Order  of  United  American 
Mechanics,  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  the  Royal 
Arcanum.  He  is  a  deacon  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church. 

November  16,  1909,  Mr.  Little  married  Miss 
Grace  Creelman  Turlington,  of  Wilmington.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  William  H.  and  Grace  (Creel- 
man)  Turlington.  Her  father  was  a  Wilmington 
merchant. 

Thomas  Maslin  has  been  a  resident  of  Winston- 
Salem  since  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
has  become  an  im,portant  factor  in  financial  circles, 
being  now  president  of  the  Merchants  National 
Bank  of  that  city. 

He  has  a  very  interesting  ancestral  line  and  is 
himself  a  native  of  the  City  of  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land. His  ancestors  originally  lived  in  Belgium, 
where  they  spelled  the  name  Malines.  They  were 
Protestants,  of  the  Huguenot  class,  and  on  account 
of  religious  persecution  tied  from  Belgium,  went  to 
Dieppe,  France,  and  from  there  emigrated  to 
England.  Stephen  Malines  was  for  forty-nine 
years  at  the  head  of  the  Queen's  customs  and  his 
son  Victor  was  also  in  the  customs  service.  The 
founder  of  the  family  in  America  was  Mr.  Maslin 's 
great-grandfather,  who  was  probably  born  in 
England  and  came  to  America  in  colonial  times, 
locating  in  Virginia.  He  was  a  planter,  and  spent 
most  of  his  life  at  Gerardstown  in  what  is  now 
West  Virginia.  Hon.  Thomas  Maslin,  grandfather 
of  the  Winston-Salem  banker,  was  born  at  Gerards- 
town, and  subsequently  located  at  ffioorefield  in 
what  is  now  West  Virginia,  becoming  a  successful 
breeder  of  cattle,  which  he  fattened  for  the  for- 
eign markets.  He  was  in  that  business  long  before 
railroads  became  the  favorite  method  of  trans- 
portation, and  he  drove  many  herds  of  his  fat 
stock  across  the  mountains  and  over  the  high- 
ways to  market  at  Philadelphia,  from  which  port 
they  were  shipped  to  Liverpool.  He  was  also  a 
man  of  prominence  in  the  public  eye,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Virginia  convention  which  passed 
the  ordinance  of  secession  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war.  His  death  occurred  at  Moorefield  at  the  age 
of  seventy.  His  wife  was  Catherine  Seymour,  of 
English  ancestry  and  the  descendant  of  Jane 
Seymour.  She  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  hav- 
ing reared  nine  children :  William  H.,  James  M., 
Jennie  R.,  Thomas,  George  C,  Julia,  Ella,  Lelia 
and  Sadie. 

William  Hanson  Maslin,  father  of  Thomas 
Maslin,  was  born  in  Moorefield,  West  Virginia, 
November  21,  1842.  He  was  educated  in  Moore- 
field Academy,  but  left  at  the  age  of  nineteen  to 
enlist  in  the  Confederate  army.  He  was  a  loyal 
and  hard  fighting  soldier  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
and  then  went  to  Cliillicothe,  Ohio,  where  he  had 
the  advantages  of  higher  studies  in  an  academy 
and  while  there  made  his  home  with  Thomas 
Woodrow.  After  completing  his  education  he 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business  as 
member  of  the  firm  of  Henry,  Maslin  &  Company 
of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  His  career  was  success- 
ful though   brief,   and  his  death   occurred  at  the 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


35 


age  of  thirty-eight.  He  married  Alice  Virginia 
MeCouky,  who  was  boru  at  Baltimore,  daughter  of 
James  M.  MeOonky.  She  is  now  living  at  Winston- 
Salem,  the  mother  of  three  children:  Thomas, 
Edna  G.  and  William  Hanson,  Jr. 

Thomas  Masliu  made  the  most  of  his  early 
opportunities  to  obtain  an  education,  attending 
the  public  schools  of  Baltimore  and  also  the  Balti- 
more City  College.  He  was  just  twenty-one  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  Winston-Salem  and  imme- 
diately accepted  the  position  of  bookkeeper  in  the 
Wachovia  Loan  and  Trust  Company.  He  gained  a 
thorough  and  fundamental  knowledge  of  banking 
with  that  company  and  was  one  of  its  trusted 
employes  until  1910,  when  he  resigned  and  put  his 
experience  and  his  self  confidence  to  test  in  the 
organization  of  the  Merchants  National  Bank, 
which  is  now  one  of  the  strongest  and  best  known 
financial  institutions  of  Forsyth  County.  From 
its  organization  Mr.  Maslin  has  served  as  vice 
president  and  cashier,  and  is  now  president. 

He  was  married  in  September,  1906,  to  Miss 
Martha  Murfree  Maney.  Mrs.  Maslin  was  born  in 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  H. 
and  Ida  (Morris)  Maney.  The  four  daughters 
born  to  their  union  are  named  Martha  Maney, 
Anne  Rhea,  Virginia  G.  and  Cornelia.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Maslin  are  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Charles  S.  Lawrence,  M.  D.  During  his  pro- 
fessional experience  in  Winston-Salem,  which 
covers  a  period  of  seven  years.  Doctor  Lawrence 
has  been  best  known  by  his  exceptional  skill  as  a 
surgeon.  He  brought  to  his  profession  a  thorough 
training  acquired  both  in  this  country  and  abroad, 
and  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  after  a  long 
and  varied  service  in  the  United  States  Regular 
Army  and  its  medical  corps. 

Doctor  Lawrence  is  a  native  of  Quaker  Gap 
Township,  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina.  Hia 
grandfather,  James  Lawrence,  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  on  coming  to  North  Carolina  located  in 
Quaker  Gap  Township,  where  he  followed  farming 
until  his  death.  William  A.  Lawrence,  father  of 
Doctor  Lawrence,  was  born  on  a  plantation  in 
Stokes  County,  grew  up  on  a  farm  and  after  reach- 
ing manhood  bought  a  place  near  the  old  home. 
He  lived  there  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to 
Eldora  Township  in  Surry  County  and  again 
bought  land  and  continued  its  operation  as  a 
farmer  until  his  death  in  1914,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four.  He  married  Matilda  Cliristian,  who  was 
born  in  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina,  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Matilda  (Page)  Christian.  Mrs. 
William  Lawrence  is  still  living  in  Surry  County. 
Her  family  consisted  of  five  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter: Robert,  James,  Charles  S.,  Willis  F.,  Hartie 
and  Luther. 

Doctor  Lawrence  was  educated  in  the  rural 
schools  of  Surry  County  and  in  Siloam  Academy  in 
the  same  county.  His  first  important  experience, 
and  one  which  gave  him  a  large  knowledge  of  the 
world,  came  in  1897  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifth 
Regiment,  United  States  Artillery.  He  was  with 
that  regiment  for  three  years,  and  during  that 
time  the  Spanish-American  war  occurred  and  the 
Philippine  insurrection.  He  spent  two  years  in 
the  Philippines,  and  also  went  with  the  United 
States  Army  to  China  and  took  part  in  the  Allied 
expedition  to  put  down  the  Boxer  uprising.  After 
his  honorable  discharge  from  the  regular  service 
he    enlisted    in    the    Medical    Department    of    the 


army,  and  that  experience  opened  up  to  him  his 
permanent  vocation. 

On  leaving  the  army  Doctor  Lawrence  entered 
the  medical  department  of  the  George  Washington 
University  of  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  was 
graduated  M.  D.  in  1908.  Returning  to  his  native 
state,  he  practiced  two  and  a  half  years  at  Mount 
Airy  and  then  came  to  Winston-Salem,  where  he 
has  specialized  in  surgery.  Several  post-gradu- 
ate courses  have  enlarged  his  view  and  knowledge, 
and  in  1914  he  went  abroad  and  visited  clinics  in 
the  leading  hospitals  of  European  cities.  H*  re- 
turned to  this  country  at  about  the  outbreak  of 
the  European  war. 

Doctor  Lawrence  was  married  in  1909  to  Alice 
George,  a  native  of  Stokes  County  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  W.  and  Margaret  (Hatcher)  George. 
Doctor  Lawrence  is  a  member  of  the  Forsyth 
County  and  the  North  Carolina  State  Medical 
.societies  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  Winston  Lodge  No 
167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Winston 
Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Piedmont 
Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  Templar,  and  Oasis 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Charlotte.  In  his 
home  city  he  is  a  member  of  the  Twin  City  and 
the  Forsyth  Country  Club. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Germany  Doctor  Lawrence  was  com- 
missioned captain  in  the  Medical  Reserve  Corps 
and  was  assigned  to  duty  as  captain  in  the  Red 
Cross  Ambulance  Company  No.  31,  a  volunteer  unit 
organized  by  the  Red  Cross  Chapter  at  Greens- 
boro, North  Carolina.  Its  members  are  composed 
of  young  men  in  this  section  of  the  state.  Later 
the  company  was  assigned  to  the  National  Army 
and  the  number  changed  to  No.  321. 

Waverly  Blackwood  Strachan  of  Salisbury 
has  had  a  long  and  successful  experience  in  rail- 
roading, real  estate  and  banking  affairs.  For  the 
past  eight  years  he  has  been  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Salisbury  and  is  well  known 
among  North  Carolina  bankers. 

He  was  born  at  Snow  Hill  in  Greene  County, 
North  Carolina,  and  of  old  and  prominent  Virginia 
ancestry  on  both  sides.  His  father,  Dr.  Joseph  B. 
Strachan,  was  born  in  Petersburg,  Virginia,  was 
educated  in  Lexington  Military  Institute  and  took 
his  medical  course  in  Jefferson  Medical  College  at 
Philadelphia,  from  which  he  graduated.  He  began 
practice  at  Snow  Hill,  North  Carolina,  afterwards 
moved  to  Johnston  County,  and  from  there  to 
Princeton,  where  he  practiced  for  many  years  and 
where  he  died  in  1910.  Doctor  Strachan  married 
Minnie  Ruffin,  who  is  still  living  at  Princeton, 
North  Carolina,  and  she  is  a  member  of  the  dis- 
tinguished family  of  Ruffin  which  was  represented 
by  her  remote  ancestor,  William  RuflSn,  in  Isle  of 
Wight  County,  Virginia,  as  early  as  1666.  Robert 
Ruffin,  Sr.,  a  son  of  this  Virginian,  was  the  pioneer 
founder  of  the  Ruffin  name  in  Surry  County,  North 
Carolina.  From  Robert  Ruffin,  Sr.,  to  Mrs.  Doctor 
Strachan  the  line  of  descent  is  through  the  fol- 
lowing: Robert  and  Elizabeth  Watkins  RuiJin,  Col. 
John  and  Polly  (H.awkins)  Ruffin,  Thomas  and 
Susan  (Harris)  Ruffin,  and  Thomas  and  Maria 
(Wilson)  Ruffin,  the  latter  being  the  parents  of 
Mrs.  Doctor  Strachan.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Strachan 
had  one  son  and  two  daughters,  Hattie  and  Min- 
nie. Hattie  is  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Herbert  of  Rooky 
Mount,  North  Carolina,  and  Minnie  is  the  wife 
of  Paul  C.  Duncan  of  Clayton,  this  state. 


36 


HISTOKY  OF  NORTH   CAROLINA 


Waverly  B.  Strachan  besides  the  early  advantages 
obtained  "at  his  father's  home  was  a  student  under 
a  noted  educator.  Prof.  Alphonso  Smith,  principal 
of  the  high  school  at  Selma.  Alabama.  As  a  boy 
he  learned  telegraphy  and  his  first  regular  em- 
ployment was  with  the  old  Richmond  and  Danville 
Railway  as  telegraph  operator.  He  remained  with 
that  road  when  it  was  taken  over  by  the  Southern 
Railwav  Company  and  was  continuously  faithful 
and  efficient  in  "its  service  until  1901.  During 
that  time  he  served  as  station  agent  at  Salisbury 
and  was  also  traveling  auditor  and  in  the  law 
ilepartment.  He  finally  resigned  his  position  to 
take  up  real  estate  and  insurance  and  in  1910 
was  elected  to  his  present  responsibilities  as  cashier 
of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Salisbury. 

Mr.  Strachan  served  four  years  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  aldermen  and  during  that  tinie 
was  chairman  of  the  finance  committee.  He  is 
affiliated  with  Andrew  Jackson  Lodge,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Salisbury  Chapter, 
Royal  Arch  Masons;  Salisbury  Commandery  No. 
i:<,"  Knights  Temjilar.  Mrs.  Strachan  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Salisbury  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mr.  Strachan  married  in  1901  Miss  Henrietta  Mc- 
Neelev,  who  was  born  at  Salisbury,  daughter  of 
Julius  and  Henrietta  (Hall)  McNeeley.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Strachan  have  one  daughter,  Mildred. 

Juxius  D.\xiEL  Grimes.  Seemingly  designed 
by  nature  for  the  law  and  in  his  preparation  and 
early  practice  enjoying  unusual  advantages  and 
opi)ortunities,  Junius  D.  Grimes,  one  of  the  able 
members  of  the  Washington  bar,  has  in  his  pro- 
fessional capacity  won  a  solid  reputation. 

Mr.  Grimes  was  born  at  Grimesland,  North  Caro- 
lina, October  31, 1878,  a  son  of  Bryan  and  Charlotte 
E.  (Bryan)  Grimes.  Mr.  Grimes  received  part 
of  his  "early  training  in  a  private  school  at  Ra- 
leigh, and  in  1899  graduated  A.  B.  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina.  He  took  his  law 
course  in  the  law  school  at  Georgetown,  District 
of  Columbia,  receiving  his  LL.  B.  degree  iu  1902. 
Admitted  to  the  bar  the  same  year,  he  began 
practice  at  Washington  and  since  190.5  has  been 
member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Ward  &  Grimes. 
Mr.  Grimes  served  for  several  years  as  city  at- 
torney of  Washington,  and  has  shown  great  ability 
in  handling  the  increasing  complexities  of  an  im- 
portant practice. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  school  board,  a  trustee 
of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Greensboro,  a  di- 
rector of  the  Savings  &  Trust  Company  of  Wash- 
ington, trustee  of  the  W^ashington  Tobacco 
Warehouse  Association  and  a  director  of  the 
Washington  Cotton  Storehouse  Association.  He 
belongs  to  the  North  Carolina  Bar  Association. 

September  27,  1904,  Mr.  Grimes  married  Miss 
Ida  K.  Wharton,  of  Clemmons,  Forsyth  County, 
North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Albert  C.  and  Eliza 
A.  (Hill)  Wharton.  Her  father  was  a  farmer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grimes  have  four  children:  Bryan, 
Eliza  Hill,  Charlotte  Emily  and  Junius  Daniel, 
Jr. 

WiLLUM  A.  Lemly  was  for  over  forty  years 
one  of  the  active  figures  in  banking  circles  at  old 
Salem  and  in  Winston-Salem.  He  became  a 
banker  almost  as  soon  as  the  war  closed,  in 
which  he  had  played  a  gallant  part  as  a  boy 
soldier.  Mr.  Lemlv  is  now  enjoying  a  vigorous  old 
age,  and  has  many  interests  and  associations 
with  his  home  city. 


He  represents  that  sturdj-  Moravian  stock  which 
so  largely  populated  and  developed  Western  North 
Carolina  in  early  times.    Mr.  Lemly  was  born  on  a 
farm    near    Bethania,    North    Carolina,   a    son    of 
Henry  A.  Lemly,  who  was  born  at  Salisbury,  North 
Carolina,  in  1812,  a  son  of  Samuel  Lemly.     Samuel 
Lemly  was  for  many  years  a  merchant  at  Salis- 
bury, but  subsequently  moved  to  Jackson,  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Elizabeth  Furr,  spent  their  last  years.    Henry 
A.   Lemly  was  reared  and  educated  in   Salisbury, 
and  also  became  a  merchant.     When  a  young  man 
he   moved   to   Bethania,   married   there,   and   soon 
located   on   his   father-in-law's   farm.     This  place 
he    operated   with   the    aid    of   slaves    for   several 
years,  but  eventually  removed  to  Salem  in   order 
to   give   his   children   the   advantages   of   the   fine 
schools  of  that  town.    In  Salem  he  passed  his  later 
years  and   died   at  the  age   of  seventy-four.     He 
married    Amanda    Conrad,    who    was    born    near 
Bethania.     Her  father,  Jacob  Conrad,  a  native  of 
Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  came  to  North  Caro- 
lina with  three  brothers,  Isaac,  John  and  Abraham. 
Jacob  and   Abraham   located  near  Bethania,  while 
Isaac  and  John  found  homes  in  the  Yadkin  River 
Valley  in  what  is  now  Yadkin  County.    Besides  the 
farm  "near  Bethania  which  he  developed  and  owned 
.lacob    Conrad    also    had     a     store.      He   married 
Elizabeth  Lash.     Her  father.  Christian  Lash,  was 
born  near  Bethania  and,  according  to  the  family 
record,   was  a  son  of  Jacob   Loesch,  whose  name 
figures    prominently    in    the    early    history    of    the 
Moravian  colony,  of  which  he  was  business  man- 
ager  for  many  years.      The   Conrads  and   Lashes 
were  all  active  Moravians.     Mrs.  Henry  A.  Lemly, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-four,  reared  six  chil- 
dren:    Elizabeth,  Laura,  Ithiel  T.,  Henry  R.,  Wil- 
liam A.  and  Samuel  C.     Several  of  the  sons  had 
distinguished  careers.    Henry  was  for  twenty  years 
in  the  regular  army,  finally  retiring  with  the  rank 
of  captain  and  is  "now  a  resident  of  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia.     Samuel  C.  was  Judge  Advo- 
cate General  of  the  United  States  Na^•y  for  twelve 
years,   and  is  now   deceased.     Ithiel   is   a  farmer 
near  Asheville. 

Mr.  William  A.  Lemly  was  educated  in  the  Boys ' 
School  at  Salem,  but  at  the  age  of  seventeen  gave 
up  his  studies  to  enter  the  Confederate  army  as  a 
musician  in  the  Twenty-sixth  Regiment.  North 
Carolina  troops.  Going  to  the  front,  he  joined  the 
army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  was  with  his  com- 
mand through  all  its  service  until  in  the  early  days 
of  April,  1865,  he  was  captured  by  the  enemy  near 
Petersburg.  Taken  to  Point  Lookout,  Maryland, 
he  remained  a  prisoner  of  war  until  the  following 
June,  when  he  was  released  and  returned  home. 

With  the  organization  of  the  First  National 
Bank  at  Salem  toward  the  close  of  the  year  1865 
this  young  soldier,  then  in  his  nineteenth  year,  was 
elected  cashier.  With  fidelity  and  untiring 
industry  he  performed  the  duties  of  this  position 
for  thirteen  years.  Upon  the  death  of  his  uncle, 
Israel  G.  Lash,  president  of  the  bank,  its  affairs 
were  wound  up.  The  First  National  Bank  was 
followed  bv  the  immediate  organization  of  the 
Wax-hovia  Bank,  and  in  this  new  institution  Mr. 
Lemly  again  assumed  the  responsibilities  of 
cashier.  With  the  death  of  the  bank's  president 
Wyatt  F.  Bovrman,  Mr.  Lemly  was  elected  his  suc- 
cessor, and  he  continued  to  give  his  service  to  the 
executive  management  of  this  institution  until  ill 
health  finally  compelled  him  to  resign.     For  forty- 


.    w  L^-i^    ^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


37 


two  years  lie  liad  been  continuous!}'  identitied  with 
banking,  and  as  much  as  any  other  man  he  was 
responsible  for  the  strength  and  integrity  of  the 
great  bank  of  which  he  was  president. 

Since  he  gave  up  the  work  which  had  employed 
him  for  so  many  years  and  which  brought  his 
breakdown  in  health,  Mr.  Lemly  has  completely 
recovered  his  strength  and  vigor,  and  now  employs 
his  time  in  looking  after  his  private  affairs.  He 
has  interests  in  several  industrial  corporations,  and 
also  owns  much  farming  land.  He  is  one  of  the 
esteemed  members  of  the  Twin  City  Club  and  the 
Forsyth  Country  Club  and  he  and  his  wife  belong 
to  the  Home  Moravian  Church. 

He  tirst  married,  in  1874,  Bertha  C.  Belo,  a 
native  of  Salem  and  a  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Carolina  Amanda  (Pries)  Belo.  Mrs.  Lemly  died 
in  1883.  In  1884  he  married  Emily  Louisa  de 
Schweinitz,  also  a  native  of  Salem,  and  daughter 
of  Emil  Adolphus  and  Sophia  Amelia  (Hermann) 
de  Schweinitz. 

Mr.  Lemly  has  two  sons,  William  B.  and 
Frederick  H.  William  B.  is  now  serving  with  the 
rank  of  lieutenant  colonel  in  the  United  States 
Marine  Corps,  and  by  his  marriage  to  Adelaide 
von  Windegger,  of  St.  Louis,  who  died  in  1916,  he 
has  two  sons,  William  C.  and  Frederick  Von 
Windegger.  The  second  son,  Frederick  H.,  gave 
five  years  of  service  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
was  promoted  to  paymaster,  but  resigned  and 
returned  home  to  assist  his  father  during  the  lat- 
ter 's  ill  health.  He  was  an  active  farmer  in  the 
spring  of  1917,  in  Charles  County,  Maryland.  He 
joined  the  reserves  and  is  now  assistant  paymaster 
on  the  Von  Stuben.  Both  sons  are  now  in  France. 
The  older  son,  William  B.,  was  in  the  Quarter- 
master Department  in  the  Philippines  and  was 
wounded  at  Teusems.  He  was  all  through  the  cam- 
paign during  the  Boxer  uprising  in  China.  Mr. 
William  A.  Lemly 's  brother,  Samuel  C,  was  with 
Schley  during  his  expedition  in  the  North. 

James  B.  Whittington,  M.  D.,  received  a  long 
and  careful  preparation  for  his  chosen  profession, 
and  is  now  successfully  identified  with  his  calling 
at  Winston-Salem. 

Doctor  Whittington  was  born  in  the  Town  of 
East  Bend  in  Yadkin  County,  North  Carolina,  a 
son  of  James  Madison  and  Bettie  (Benbow)  Whit- 
tington. Further  reference  to  the  family  history 
is  made  on  other  pages,  but  it  should  be  noted 
that  in  the  maternal  line  Doctor  Whittington  is  a 
grandson  of  Dr.  Evan  and  Bettie  Benbow,  great- 
grandson  of  Thomas  and  Ann  (Mendenhall)  Ben- 
bow, while  Thomas  Benbow  was  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Anna  (Stanley)  Benbow  and  a  grandson  of 
Charles  and  Mary  (Colver)  Benbow,  all  consti- 
tuting one  of  the  notable  families  of  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Doctor  Whittington  attended  school  in  his  home 
vicinity  of  East  Bend,  also  in  the  Salem  Boys ' 
School,  and  took  the  literary  course  of  Guilford 
College.  He  studied  pharmacy  in  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  and  in  1911  finished  his  course 
and  received  the  M.  D.  degree  from  the  North 
Carolina  Medical  College.  Before  taking  up  active 
Ijractice  lie  spent  two  years  as  an  interne  in  the 
Sheltering  Arms  Hospital  at  Charleston,  West 
Virginia,  and  then  located  at  Winston-Salem, 
where  he  has  rapidly  attained  a  reputation  among 
the  leading  practitioners.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Forsyth  County  and  North  Carolina  State  Medical 
societies  and  the  American  Medical  Association, 


Doctor  Whittington  married  in  1914  Lisa  Madi- 
son Shepherd.  She  was  born  at  Orange,  Virginia, 
and  is  a  grandnieee  of  President  James  Madison. 
Doctor  Whittington  is  affiliated  with  Salem  Lodge 
No.  289,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Win- 
ston Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Pied- 
mont Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  Templar,  and 
also  Salem  Lodge  No.  56,  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
the  East  Bend  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows. 

.John'  S.  McKee,  M.  D.,  took  his  degree  in 
medicine  from  the  medical  department  of  the  Uui- 
\ersity  of  Maryland  in  1907.  Pfe  spent  one  year  in 
hospital  work  there  and  since  his  return  to  his 
native  City  of  Raleigh  has  been  in  active  general 
practice.  In  1913  he  was  appointed  city  physician 
and  since  1914  has  been  physician  to  the  Confed- 
erate Soldiers'  Home  and  St.  Luke's  Hospital. 
He  is  also  ^siting  physician  to  the  Rex  Hospital 
and  physician  to  the  Carolina  Power  and  Light 
Company. 

His  early  training  was  of  the  best,  his  associa- 
tions since  beginning  practice  have  been  with  those 
institutions  and  organizations  that  are  among  the 
most  prominent  in  the  state  and  city,  and  on  these 
grounds  and  in  the  general  esteem  of  his  fellow 
jiractitioners  he  is  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  pro- 
fession today. 

He  was  born  July  16,  1878,  a  son  of  Dr.  James 
McKee.  His  early  education  was  acquired  in  the 
Raleigh  Male  Academy,  in  the  Horner  Military 
Academy,  in  the  Fayetteville  Military  Academy, 
and  in  the  literary  department  of  the  University 
of  North  Carolina.  After  his  university  course 
he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Maryland.  He  is  now  a  member  of 
the  Raleigh  Academy  of  Medicine  and  the  North 
Carolina  Medical  Society,  belongs  to  the  Raleigh 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Country  Club,  the 
.lunior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Young  Men 's  Christian  Association.  Doctor  Mc- 
Kee married  Miss  Elizabeth  Dudley  Purnell  of 
Raleigh.     They  have  one  son,  John  S.,  Jr. 

William  Hyman  Ellison  is  one  of  the  men 
who  have  supplied  much  of  the  energy  and  busi- 
ness judgment  to  the  prospering  commercial  affairs 
of  Washington  in  recent  years.  He  is  the  execu- 
tive manager  of  a  wholesale  grocery  house,  has 
various  other  business  interests,  and  has  taken  a 
public  spirited  part  in  local  affairs. 

Mr.  Ellison  was  born  at  Washington,  North 
Carolina,  December  24,  1882,  a  son  of  Charles 
Franklin  and  Emma  (Rosenthal)  Ellison.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  near  Washington  and  when 
William  H.  was  eleven  years  of  age  the  family 
moveil  to  Kinston.  The  latter  attended  private 
schools,  later  the  public  schools,  and  for  two  years 
had  instruction  in  business  courses  under  Prof. 
R.  H.  Lewis.  Some  of  his  preliminary  business 
experience  was  with  a  manufacturing  concern  at 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  on  returning  to  Wash- 
ington, his  birtliplaee,  he  was  bookkeeper  for  the 
Old  Dominion  Steamship  Company,  later  with  a 
wholesale  hardware  house,  and  in  1907  organized 
tlie  Ellison  Brothers  Company,  wholesale  grocers. 
This  is  now  a  leading  enterprise  of  the  kind  and 
has  business  connections  all  over  the  eastern  half 
of  the  state.  Mr.  Allison  is  secretary,  treasurer 
aiul  manager  of  the  corporation,  and  is  also  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Pamlico  Brick  and  Tile 
Company.     He  is  chairman  of  the  Township  Road 


38 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Committee  and  vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  is  past  exalted  ruler  of  the  local 
lodge  of  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
On  March  30,  1909,  Mr.  Ellison  marrieil  Mary 
M.  Blount,  daughter  of  tlie  late  Dr.  William  A. 
Blount,  of  Washington.  They  are  the  parents  of 
four  children:  William  Blount,  John  Gray,  Hyman 
and  Catherine  Masters. 

Hon.  Garland  E.  Webb  has  been  a  business  man 
and  resident  of  Winston-Salem  for  a  long  period 
of  years.  He  has  formed  many  prominent  and  in- 
fluential business  associations,  and  in  one  way  or 
another  has  done  much  to  promote  the  betterment 
and  general  improvement  of  his  home  city. 

A  native  of  North  Carolina,  he  vpas  born  in 
Mangum  Township  in  that  portion  of  Orange 
County  that  i.s  now  Durham  County.  His  grand- 
father was  at  one  time  in  the  .iewelry  business  in 
the  City  of  Washington  and  later  at  Baltimore, 
where  he  died  The  grandmotlier 's  maiden  name 
was  Elizabeth  Desreaux.  She  was  born  on  the 
Island  of  San  Domingo.  Her  father,  a  Frenchman, 
had  an  extensive  plantation  there  but  was  driven 
out  as  a  result  of  one  of  the  periodical  insurrec- 
tions which  have  marked  and  stained  the  history  of 
that  island  for  centuries.  Coming  to  the  United 
States,  he  located  in  Baltimore,  where  he  spent  his 
last  years.  Mr.  Webb  's  grandmother  married  for 
her  second  husband  Mr.  Louizo,  and  she  spent  her 
last  years  in  Baltimore. 

Col.  Robert  Fulton  Webb,  father  of  Mr. 
Webb,  was  born  in  Washington,  District  of  Colum- 
bia, in  1826,  was  liberally  educated  in  the  schools 
of  that  city  and  in  Baltimore,  and  when  twenty- 
two  years  of  age  he  formed  the  acquaintance  in 
Baltimore  of  Rev.  Mr.  McMannen,  of  Orange 
County,  North  Carolina.  Rev.  Mr.  McMannen  in 
addition  to  his  duties  as  a  local  preacher  was  a 
manufacturer  of  furniture  and  also  published  a 
religious  chart.  Colonel  Webb  became  associated 
in  this  business  and  that  was  what  brought  him 
to  North  Carolina.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexi- 
can war  he  resigned  his  business  connections  and 
enlisted  in  the  First  Regiment  of  North  Carolina 
Troops.  He  was  commissioned  lieutenant  of  his 
company,  went  with  the  regiment  to  Mexico,  and 
saw  an  extended  service  in  that  country  until  the 
close  of  hostilities.  Coming  back  to  North  Caro- 
lina he  again  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  furni- 
ture and  was  also  a  farmer  at  Flat  River.  After 
about  a  dozen  years  of  this  quiet  vocation  the  war 
broke  out  between  the  states.  He  immediately 
raised  a  company  known  as  the  Flat  River  Guards. 
He  recruited  and  organized  this  company  on  the 
site  now  occupied  by  the  railroad  shops  at  the 
Town  of  Burlington  in  Alamance  County.  The 
youngest  member  of  this  organization,  and  by 
virtue  of  that  service  the  youngest  soldier  either 
on  the  northern  or  southern  sides  in  the  war  was 
Garland  E.  Webb.  The  latter  was  then  seven  years 
old.  Wlien  his  father  raised  the  company  the  boy 
enlisted  as  a  drummer  and  during  the  rallying  of 
the  recruits  he  urged  them  to  patriotic  fervor  by 
the  rattling  of  his  drum.  He  also  went  to  the  site 
of  the  railroad  shops  and  beat  the  drum  during 
the  roll  call  while  the  regiment  was  being  organ- 
ized. That  constituted  his  military  experience,  his 
services  not  being  required  after  that. 

The  Flat  River  Guards  were  attached  to  the 
Sixth  Regiment,  North  Carolina  Troops,  and 
designated  as  Company  B.     Robert  Fulton  Webb 


was  commissioned  captain  of  the  company  on 
May  16,  1861,  and  was  promoted  to  major  July 
11th,  of  the  same  year.  Subsequently  he  became 
lieutenant  colonel  in  the  regiment.  He  was  with 
his  command  in  all  its  movements  back  and  forth 
over  the  Confederacy  and  was  present  in  some  of 
the  most  historic  battles  of  the  war.  In  November, 
1863,  he  was  captured  and  was  taken  north  to 
Johnson's  Island  in  Lake  Erie,  off  Sandusky.  He 
subsequently  wrote  a  very  interesting  account  of 
the  capture  and  confinement  of  himself  and  com- 
rades on  the  island,  and  that  account  appears  in  a 
history  of  North  Carolina  Regiments  and  Bat- 
talions published  by  Walter  CHark  in  1901.  Colonel 
Webb  remained  a  prisoner  of  war  until  July,  1865, 
when  he  was  released  and  returned  home.  On 
resuming  the  occupations  of  peace  he  became  a 
merchant  and  farmer  at  Flat  River,  but  in  1877 
changed  his  residence  to  Durham,  where  he  became 
a  dealer  in  and  exporter  of  leaf  tobacco.  Durham 
was  his  home  until  his  death. 

Colonel  Webb  married  Amanda  Mangum.  Her 
father,  Ellison  G.  Mangum,  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  North  Carolina,  and  spent  his  life  there, 
being  an  extensive  planter,  a  large  slave  owner  and 
a  merchant.  An  extended  account  of  the  Mangum 
family  may  be  found  in  Vol.  5  of  the  Ashe 
Biographical  History  of  North  Carolina.  Ellison 
G.  Mangum  married  Elizabeth  Harris,  who  also 
spent  her  life  in  Orange  County.  Colonel  Webb's 
wife  died  in  1872,  having  reared  three  children. 
Catherine  married  P.  T.  Conrad  and  Virginia 
became  the  wife  of  Charles  Crabtree. 

Garland  E.  Webb 's  first  important  experience 
in  life  has  already  been  referred  to  in  connection 
with  the  organization  of  the  military  company  by 
his  father.  After  that  he  attended  schools  and 
had  most  of  his  instruction  under  private  tutors. 
One  of  his  tutors  was  Dr.  A.  W.  Mangum,  Pro- 
fessor of  English  at  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina. He  also  had  a  course  in  Bryant  and  Strat- 
ton  's  Business  College  at  Baltimore.  During  his 
early  youth  he  had  some  experience  clerking  in  his 
father's  store,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  he 
removed  to  Durham  and  became  bookkeeper  and 
salesman  for  J.  F.  Freeland,  a  general  merchant. 
A  year  later,  in  1876,  he  went  to  Philadelphia, 
during  the  year  of  the  centennial,  spent  one  year 
in  that  city,  and  then  returned  to  Durham.  For 
ten  years  he  acted  as  auctioneer  at  the  ware- 
house of  E.  J.  Parish.  As  an  auctioneer  he  has 
few  peers  in  the  state,  and  he  has  followed  the 
business  or  profession  most  of  his  active  life. 
While  at  Durham  his  public  services  began.  He 
was  elected  clerk  and  treasurer  of  the  Town  of 
Durham.  Mr.  Webb  has  had  an  extensive  expe- 
rience in  North  Carolina  journalism.  He  was 
proprietor   and    editor    of   the    Durham    Recorder. 

In  1886  he  removed  to  the  new  Town  of  Winston 
and  spent  five  years  with  A.  B.  Gorrell  as  auc- 
tioneer. Then  associated  with  W.  P.  Watt,  of 
Reidsville,  he  leased  a  warehouse  and  operated  it 
two  years  under  the  firm  name  of  Watt  &  Webb. 
In  the  meantime  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
board  of  aldermen  and  was  mayor  pro  tern.  On 
the  death  of  Mayor  Kerner  he  was  elected  mayor. 
In  1894  Mr.  Webb  became  auctioneer  for  the  firm 
of  M.  Norfleet,  and  has  followed  that  business 
steadily  to  the  present  time.  For  some  years  he 
has  also  edited  and  published  the  Southern  Tobacco 
Journal  and  is  a  recognized  authority  on  the 
tobacco  business  of  the  South.  Mr.  Webb  is  now 
a  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  Winston- 


GARLAND  E.  WEBB 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


39 


Salem,  and  again  occupies  the  office  of  mayor 
pro  tern.  He  is  also  a  member  ami  vice  chairman 
of  the  school  board  of  Winston  Salem  and  for 
twelve  years  has  been  secretary  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Piedmont  Fair  Association.  For  five 
years  he  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Tobacco  Association  of  the  United  States. 

At  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  in  1883  he  married 
Miss  Adeline  Emmerson  Holman.  The  officiating 
clergyman  at  the  marriage  was  Doctor  Bartol.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Webb  had  four  children:  Charlotte, 
Adeline,  A.  Magnum  and  Calvin.  Mrs.  Webb 
died  in  September,  1914.  She  was  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  with  which 
Mr.  Webb  is  also  identified.  In  June,  1917,  Mr. 
Webb  married  Miss  Annie  Laur  Forgan,  of  Ogle, 
Virginia. 

Zachariah  Taylor  Btnum.  A  surviving  vet- 
eran of  the  war  between  the  states,  and  for  many 
years  identified  with  the  tobacco  industry  in  West- 
ern North  Carolina,  Zachariah  Taylor  Bynum  ia 
still  active  as  a  business  man  and  citizen  of  Win- 
stonSalem. 

He  represents  an  old  and  well  known  family  of 
North  Carolina.  His  birth  occurred  on  a  planta- 
tion in  Chatham  County,  April  14,  1847.  His 
grandfather,  Mark  Bynum,  owned  and  operated 
a  plantation  on  the  Haw  River  in  Chatham  County, 
and  gave  his  best  years  to  the  prosecution  of  its 
management  and  to  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as 
a  local  citizen. 

Turner  Bynum,  father  of  Zachariah  T.,  was 
born  on  a  plantation  in  Chatham  County  in  1808. 
With  such  advantages  as  were  supplied  by  the 
rural  schools  of  his  time,  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
then  bought  a  plantation  on  Haw  Kiver  ad.ioining 
the  old  home  place.  He  owned  a  number  of  slaves 
and  was  rated  one  of  the  very  substantial  men  of 
that  community.  His  death  occurred  in  1873.  He 
was  a  man  of  affairs  and  at  one  time  served  as 
representative  in  the  State  Assembly,  filling  that 
office  several  terms,  and  was  also  chairman  of  the 
County  Court.  He  married  Julia  Ward.  She  was 
born  in  Wake  County,  North  Carolina,  and  died 
in  1865.  Both  were  active  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  They  reared  five  sons  and  four 
daughters,  named  Joseph  M.,  Alvis  Jesse,  Zacha- 
riah T.,  Rufus,  Turner,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Minnie 
and  Pattie.  Three  of  the  sons,  Joseph,  Alvis  and 
Zachariah,  were  soldiers  in  the  Confederate  Army. 
Joseph  went  to  the  war  with  a  Mississippi  regiment, 
while  Alvis  was  with  the  Chatham  Rifles. 

Zachariah  T.  Bynum  spent  his  early  youth  on 
the  home  plantation,  and  was  only  fourteen  years 
of  ago  when  the  war  broke  out.  In  April,  1864,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H  of 
the  Seventy-first  Regiment  North  Carolina  troops, 
and  was  with  that  command  through  all  its  re- 
maining service.  He  participated  in  the  last  impor- 
tant battle  of  the  war,  Bentonville,  and  soon  after 
wards  was  paroled  and  returned  home.  He  sur- 
rendered with  his  regiment  at  Greensboro. 

After  his  military  service  Mr.  Bynum  engaged 
in  farming  for  two  years,  following  which  for 
three  years  he  was  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Raleigh.  He  then  resumed  merchandising  in  the 
old  home  community  where  he  was  located  until 
1878.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Winston  and  be- 
came a  tobacco  manufacturer  under  the  firm  name 
of   Bymim    &    Colton.      This    firm    was   continued 


with  successful  results  until  1893.  In  1895  Mr. 
Bynum  was  appointed  supervisor  of  tobacco  sales 
of  the  western  market,  and  has  filled  that  position 
ever  since.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  judg- 
ment and  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  tobacco 
industry  from  its  growing  to  its  manufacture  and 
ultimate  market. 

Mr.  Bynum  was  married  in  1872  to  Annie  Tenny. 
She  was  born  at  Chapel  Hill,  North  Carolina, 
daughter  of  William  and  Jane  Tenny.  Mrs.  By- 
num died  in  October,  1904.  To  their  marriage 
were  born  six  children,  named  Brooks,  Taylor  J., 
Turner,  Annie,  Julia  and  Grace.  The  son  Brooks 
is  married  and  has  a  son  named  Brooks,  Jr.  Annie 
is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Kapp  and  has  3  daughter 
Elizabeth.  Mr.  Bynum  has  for  thirty-seven  years 
been  treasurer  of  the  Centenary  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  at  Winston-Salem  and  his  *ife  was 
also  a  loyal  worker  in  that  denomination  as  long 
as  she  lived. 

William  W.  Miller,  for  many  years  an 
esteemed  and  respected  resident  of  Mocksville, 
was  a  valued  member  of  his  community,  and  those 
who  knew  him  best  reposed  implicit  confidence  in 
his  honesty,  integrity  and  fidelity.  He  was  born 
January  31,  1856,  in  Yadkin  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, a  son  of  Sanford  and  Caroline  (Woodruff) 
Miller. 

Growing  to  man 's  estate  in  his  native  county, 
Mr.  Miller  received  a  practical  education  in  the 
public  schools,  being  fitted  for  a  business  career. 
Locating  as  a  young  man  in  Forsyth  County,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  in 
Winston  for  a  number  of  years.  Having  accumu- 
lated considerable  money,  he  bought  a  farm  in 
Davie  County,  and  to  its  management  devoted 
much  thought  and  energy,  continuing  its  super- 
vision until  his  death,  December  2,  1900,  while  yet 
in  the  prime  of  manhood. 

Mr.  Miller  married,  October  18,  1882,  Maggie 
Booe.  She  was  born  in  Davie  County,  North 
Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Sarah 
(Clement)  Booe.  Six  daughters  blessed  their  mar- 
riage, namely :  Maude  Clement,  wife  of  Herbert 
Birdsall;  Anita,  wife  of  Carl  Sherrill;  Sarah; 
Millie;  Carolyn,  wife  of  Price  Sherrill;  and  Ruth. 
Mrs.  Miller  is  a  faithful  and  valued  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  reared  her  family 
in  the  same  religious  faith. 

John  Hare  Bonner,  an  accomplished  young 
lawyer,  now  serving  as  deputy  collector  of  tTnited 
States  customs  at  the  Port  of  Washington,  is 
identified  with  Beaufort  County  by  many  excep- 
tional ties  of  family  association  and  interest. 
He  is  descended  from  that  James  Bonner  who  is 
given  credit  in  history  as  the  founder  of  the  Town 
of  Washington.  The  land  in  this  section  was  orig- 
inally granted  to  Chris'topher  Dudley,  but  about 
1729  it  passed  to  the  Bonner  brothers,  James  and 
Thomas.  Their  grant  consisted  of  337  acres,  ex- 
tending from  back  of  the  Hotel  Louise  in  Wash- 
ington to  Runyon  Creek.  They  also  owned  an 
extensive  plantation  in  Southern  Beaufort  County, 
comprising  thousands  of  acres.  The  Bonners  in 
Beaufort  County  were  ardent  patriots  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  one  of  them  was  commander  of  the 
Beaufort  County  militia. 

John  Hare  Bonner  was  born  in  Beaufort  County 
July  9,  1887,  a  son  of  Macon  Herbert  and  Hannah 
SellDy    (Hare)    Bonner.     Through  his  mother   Mr. 


40 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Bonner  is  of  Irish  stock.  His  father  was  for  many 
years  a  boatmaster  and  pilot  in  the  navigation  of 
Eastern  North  Carolina  rivers  and  other  vpaters. 

John  H.  Bonner  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  in  the  Trinity  School  at  Chocowinity,  North 
Carolina,  and  after  that  had  some  experience  in 
the  cotton  business  at  Washington  and  Greensboro; 
and  for  eighteen  months  was  connected  with  the 
Norfolk  &  Southern  Railroad  at  Norfolk,  Virginia. 
He  studied  law  in  law  ofiSces  for  three  years, 
finishing  at  the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
February  7,  1910.  He  has  handled  a  general 
practice  at  Washington  since  his  admission  to 
the  bar.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Washington 
Building  and  Loan  Association.  Mr.  Bonner  is 
affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order  aiul  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in  both  of 
which   he   has   held   several   positions  of   trust. 

Vann  M.  Long.  M.  D.,  is  a  specialist  enjoying 
high  rank  and  a  fine  practice  at  Winston-Salem, 
where  he  has  been  located  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  a  product  of  North  Carolina 's  best  educa- 
tional facilities  and  resources  and  thorough  train- 
ing and  experience  have  broadened  and  accentu- 
ated his  exceptional  talents  for  his  profession. 

Doctor  Long  was  born  on  a  plantation  in  Goose 
Creek  Township  of  Union  County,  North  Carolina. 
His  people  have  been  in  North  Carolina  for  a 
great  many  years.  His  grandfather,  John  Long, 
was  born  in  Union  County  and  became  a  very  suc- 
cessful farmer,  having  a  large  plantation  in  Goose 
Creek  Township.  He  married  Margaret  Russell, 
who  so  far  as  known  was  a  lifelong  resident  of 
Union  County. 

John  Cicero  Long,  father  of  Doctor  Long,  was 
born  January  21,  1842,  on  the  same  plantation  as 
his  son.  He  grew  up  there,  and  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  war  between  the  states  enlisted  in  a  regi- 
ment of  North  Carolina  troops.  While  on  duty  he 
was  shot  by  a  sharpshooter,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  he  was  mortally  wounded.  He  was  taken  to 
a  hospital,  and  as  a  result  of  careful  nursing  he 
finally  recovered  and  was  able  to  report  for  duty. 
From  that  time  until  the  close  of  the  war  he  did 
guard  duty  at  Charlotte.  Having  inherited  a  part 
of  his  father's  estate,  he  bought  the  interests  of 
the  other  heirs,  and  as  sole  owner  he  became  one 
of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  Union  County. 
He  personally  supervised  the  farm  until  1900,  wjien, 
he  moved  to  Unionville,  but  after  two  years 
returned  to  his  plantation  and  again  superintended 
its  fork  for  two  years.  He  then  retired  and 
removing  to  Davidson  College  lived  there  until  his 
death  on  October  8,  1912.  John  C.  Long  married 
Nancy  Jane  Winfree.  She  was  born  in  Wades- 
boro,  Anson  County,  North  Carolina,  in  1846,  and 
died  December  23,  1912.  Her  parents  were  Henry 
and  Thetus  (Teal)  Winfree.  Her  paternal  grand- 
parents were  natives  of  England  and  coming  to 
America  settled  in  Virginia  and  from  that  state 
their  numerous  family  have  become  widely  dis- 
persed. Henry  Winfree  was  a  planter  in  Anson 
County  aJid  before  the  war  operated  with  slave 
labor.  He  died  when  about  sixty  years  of  age 
and  his  wife  survived  him  and  lived  to  be  ninety. 
John  C.  Long  and  wife  reared  six  children:  Min- 
nie, Alonzo,  Hattie,  Louis,  Vann  M.  and  Neal. 
The  daughter  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Helms, 
while  Hattie  married  J.  H.  Forbes. 

Doctor  Long,  though  reared  in  the  country,  early 
set  his  mind  upon  a  profession  and  after  attend- 


ing the  district  schools  was  a  student  in  Unionville 
High  School  and  Mint  Hill  High  School.  He  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  North  Carolina 
Medical  College  at  Davidson  and  Charlotte,  and  in 
1906  gi-adnated  with  his  degree.  For  four  years 
Doctor  Long  practiced  at  Newell  Station  in  Meck- 
lenburg County.  His  success  there  justified  him  in 
removing  to  a  larger  community,  and  locating  at 
Winston-Salem  he  soon  acquired  a  large  practice. 
Doctor  Long  gave  his  time  to  the  general  practice 
of  medicine  until  1916,  and  since  that  date  has 
been   a  specialist. 

He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Forsyth  County 
and  State  Medical  Societies  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  He  is  affiliated  with  Win- 
ston Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  Twin  City  Camp  No.  27,  Woodmen  of 
the  World. 

Dr.  Long  was  married  October  11,  1911,  to  Miss 
Hannah  Bryce  McLaughlin.  Mrs.  Long  was  born 
at  Newell  Station  in  Mecklenburg  County,  daugh- 
ter of  James  Bryce  and  Annie  (Sturges)  Mc- 
Laughlin. Dr.  and  Mrs.  Long  have  one  son,  Vann 
M.,  Jr. 

William  T.  Vogler.  Among  those  substantial 
people,  the  Moravians,  who  contributed  so  much 
to  the  early  character  and  industry  of  several 
counties  of  Western  North  Carolina,  including 
Forsyth,  hardly  a  better  known  family  in  name 
exists  than  that  of  Vogler.  Many  branches  of  the 
family  are  represented  in  and  about  Winston- 
Salem,  and  one  of  the  individuals  is  William  T. 
Vogler,  the  veteran  jeweler  of  Winston  Salem  and 
also  prominent  in  banking  and  church  affairs.  _ 

The  record  of  this  liranch  of  the  family  begins 
with  Phillip  Vogler,  who  was  born  in  Gundelsheim 
in  the  German  Palatinate  in  1725.  General  Waldo, 
a  native  of  Germany,  acquired  some  large  tracts 
of  land  in  th.e  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Waldo, 
Maine.  In  order  to  develop  the  land  he  promised 
two  hundred  acres  and  support  for  six  months' 
time  to  each  of  his  countrymen  who  would  cross 
the  ocean  and  settle  there.  Phillip  Vogler 's 
parents  were  among  those  attracted  by  this  offer 
and  comprised  the  colony  that  left  Germany  in 
174,5  and  came  to  America.  They  landed  on  the 
coast  of  Maine  late  in  the  fall,  and  found  shelter 
in  the  woods  sixteen  miles  from  any  other  white 
settlement.  They  were  ill  prepared  for  the  severe 
winter  that  followed,  and  endured  terrible  suffer- 
ings, several  of  the  colony  dying  from  hunger  and 
exposure.  The  Indians  were  also  hostile,  and 
Phillip  Vogler 's  father  fell  a  victim  to  their  en- 
mity. Phillip  Vogler  himself  was  thrust  into  the 
service  of  the  Colonial  forces,  and  did  duty  in 
border  protection  for  four  years.  After  the  death 
of  General  Waldo  the  title  to  his  lands  was  dis- 
puted, and  during  the  troubles  that  followed 
many  of  the  occupants  of  the  separate  homesteads 
either  paid  again  for  the  right  of  possession  or 
else  surrendered  their  claim  altogether  and  sought 
homes  elsewhere. 

In  the  meantime  Moravian  missionaries  from 
Pennsylvania  had  visited  the  German  colonists 
about  Waldo,  and  as  a  means  of  escaping  the 
persecution  and  oppression  they  recommended 
North  Carolina  as  a  place  of  refuge.  Phillip  Vog- 
ler, with  his  and  other  families,  accordingly  set 
sail  in  1770  for  the  Southland.  The  vessel  that 
carried  them  was  wrecked  off  Virginia  Beach. 
The  passengers  and  crew  landed  on  a  near-by 
island,    and    some    days    later    a    passing    vessel 


ASTOR, 
TT!_nE!- 


fOilKDATlONSj 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


41 


picked  them  up  and  carried  them  to  Wilmington. 
Thence  they  proceeded  to  what  was  known  as 
Cross  Creek,  now  Fayetteville,  North  Carolina, 
and  from  there  came  to  the  Moravian  settlement 
in  what  is  now  Forsyth  County.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  this  was  several  years  before  the 
outbreak  of  tlie  Kevolutionary  war.  Only  a  fringe 
of  settlement  had  extended  westward  toward  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  and  this  section  of  the 
Carolinas  was  still  virtually  a  wilderness.  Indians 
were  numerous  and  were  more  or  less  hostile, 
unwilling  to  give  up  their  hunting  grounds  with- 
out some  struggle  against  the  advancing  tide  of 
white  settlement.  In  .such  condition  the  little 
colony  from  Maine  bought  land  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  Wachovia  tract  and  named  it  Broad  Bay 
in  honor  of  the  name  of  the  locality  where  Ihey 
had  lived  in  Maine.  In  1771  nine  houses  were 
built  there.  All  these  settlers  had  embraced  the 
Moravian  faith,  and  on  February  18.  1785,  a 
church  edifice  was  built  of  spruce  and  hemlock 
logs  and  was  consecrated  to  worship. 

Phillip  Vogler  bought  a  tract  of  land,  as  did 
the  other  colonists,  and  began  farming  at  Broad 
Bay.  Late  in  life  he  moved  to  Bethania  and 
died  there.  The  maiden  name  of  his  first  wife, 
and  the  mother  of  all  his  children,  was  Catherine 
Seiz.  She  was  stricken  with  fever  while  coming 
to  North  Carolina,  and  died  at  Fayetteville,  where 
her  remains  were  laid  to  rest.  Phillip  Vogler 
married  for  his  second  wife  Barbara  Fishcuss. 
She  died  in  1781.  For  his  third  wife  he  married 
Christina  Margaret  Sennert.  This  Phillip  Vogler 
was  the  great-grandfather  of  William   T.  Vogler. 

Christopher  Vogler,  a  son  of  Phillip,  the  North 
Carolina  pioneer,  was  born  in  or  near  Waldo, 
Maine,  but  grew  up  in  Western  North  Carolina. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  gunsmith,  and  for  many 
years  conducted  a  shop  at  Salem,  where  he  man- 
ufactured many  of  the  tirearms  used  by  the  hunt- 
ers and  pioneers.  He  lived  at  Salem  until  his 
death.  Christopher  Vogler  married  Anna  Johanna 
Stauber.  She  reared  six  children,  named  Gott- 
lieb, Maria,  Nathaniel,  Timothy,  Paulina  and 
Eegina. 

Nathaniel  Vogler,  father  of  William  T.,  was 
born  at  Salem,  North  Carolina,  May  26,  1804.  He 
grew  up  with  little  advantages  in  the  way  of 
books  or  schools,  but  became  a  very  practical  man 
and  completed  his  apprenticeship  in  his  father's 
shop.  When  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  he 
and  another  young  man  went  north  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  had  one  horse,  and  they  used  it 
alternately.  One  would  ride  a  stipulated  distance, 
then  tie  the  animal  and  proceed  on  foot,  while 
the  other  would  come  up  and  ride  the  horse.  Ar- 
riving in  Pennsylvania  Nathaniel  Vogler  worked 
at  his  trade  at  Nazareth  for  a  time,  and  then 
returned  to  his  old  home  at  Salem.  In  1827  he 
bought  the  house  his  father  had  built  on  Walnut 
Street,  and  that  was  his  home  until  his  death. 
He  also  succeeded  his  father  in  business  and  kept 
the  old  shop  going  for  many  years. 

Nathaniel  Vogler  married  Anna  Maria  Fishel. 
They  were  married  December  20,  1827,  and  began 
housekeeping  in  his  father's  old  home.  They 
reared  the  following  children:  Henry  S.,  Laura 
C,  Julius  R.,  Alexander  C,  Mortimer  N..  Maria 
E.,  Martha  V.,  Regina  A.  and  William  T.  The 
last  two  are  still  living.  The  daughter  Maria  E., 
who  was  born  March  .5,  1835,  was  educated  in 
the  old  Salem  Academy,  and  in  1853  became  a 
teacher   in   that    institution    and    filled   that    post 


for  twenty-nine  years.  Hundreds  of  young  women 
recall  with  gratitude  this  splenflid  old  teacher. 
She  finally  resigned  in  1882,  in  order  to  look  after 
her  aged  mother.  It  was  Maria  Vogler  who,  as 
the  result  of  much  research  and  investigation, 
compiled  the  history  of  the  family,  and  from  those 
records  much  has  been  taken  for  the  sketch  of 
the  family  as  above  given.  The  Vogler  family 
is  still  represented  in  Maine,  where  lineal  descend- 
ants of  a  son  of  Phillip  live.  However,  they  have 
changed  the  name  to  Fogler. 

The  old  gunsmith  at  Salem,  Christopher  Vogler, 
had  as  an  apprentice  in  his  shop  a  nejihew  named 
Jolin  Vogler.  This  John  was  a  natural  mechanic 
and  had  no  superior  as  a  workman.  While  serving 
his  apprenticeship  he  had  occasion  to  take  his 
watch  to  pieces,  and  he  thoroughly  cleaned  it, 
made  some  minor  repairs  and  put  it  together  as 
good  as  new.  In  those  days  Salem  boasted  no 
.jewelry  store,  and  his  feat  of  watch  repairing 
became  known  over  the  neighborhood  and  others 
brought  their  watches  and  clocks  to  him.  Thus 
by  the  time  he  had  completed  his  apprenticeship 
as  a  gunsmith  he  had  a  business  ready  made  as 
a  watch  repairer,  and  eonseciuently  he  opened  the 
first  jewelry  store  in  Salem.  He  continued  it 
through  all  his  active  years,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  ninety-seven.  He  is  the  oldest  man  laid  to 
rest  in   the   Moravian   grave  yard. 

Thus  the  Vogler  name  in  its  association  with 
the  jewelry  business  goes  back  to  pioneer  times 
in  Salem.  William  T.  Vogler,  who  continued  the 
jewelry  business,  was  born  at  Salem  in  October, 
1843.  '  He  attended  the  Boys  School  at  Salem, 
and  on  leaving  his  studies  entered  his  father's 
shop.  In  1862  he  entered  the  Confederate  service 
and  remained  imtil  the  close  of  the  war.  On 
returning  to  Salem  he  began  an  apprenticeship 
in  Linebeeh's  jewelry  store,  but  after  a  year  went 
to  the  E.  A.  Vogler  store,  where  he  remained  five 
years.  In  1871  he  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self at  Salem,  and  remained  in  that  town  until 
1879,  when  he  removed  to  the  growing  city  of 
Winston,  where  he  has  conducted  one  of  the  chief 
establishments  of  his  line  for  upwards  of  forty 
years.  For  a  long  time  he  has  also  been  interested 
in  banking.  He  was  a  director  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Winston,  and  since  the  consolida- 
tion of  this  bank  with  the  Trust  Com]iany  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company. 

Mr.  Vogler  was  married  August  13,  1867,  to 
Johanna  C.  Mack,  and  August  13,  1917,  they 
celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  mar- 
riage. Mrs.  Vogler  was  born  at  Friedburg  in 
Davidson  County,  a  daughter  of  .lacob  and  Mary 
(Spaugh)  Mack.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vogler  have 
reared  three  children:  Henry  E.,  William  N.  and 
Emma.  William  N.  died  when  sixteen  years  of 
age  and  Emma  at  the  age  of  thirty-three.  Henry 
E.  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  business. 
By  his  marriage  to  Biddie  V.  Goslin  he  has  four 
children,  named  Helen,  Gertrude,  Blanche  Mary 
and    Harold. 

William  T.  Vogler  was  reared  in  the  Moravian 
Church  and  has  always  held  to  that  faith.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Central  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 
Home  Church  and  a  member  of  the  Finance  Board 
of   the  province. 

.1.  Wesley  Slate,  M.  D.  While  a  graduate  of 
medicine  and  for  a  number  of  years  a  successful 
practitioner   at    Walnut    Cove,   Doctor    Slate   now 


42 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


gives  most  of  his  time  and  attention  to  his  duties 
as  cashier  of  the  Farmers  Union  Bank  at  Winston- 
Salem.  He  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and  in- 
fluential families  of  Western  North  Carolina,  and 
his  people  have  been  identified  with  Stokes  County 
since  pioneer  times. 

Doctor  Slate  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Yadkin 
Townshij)  of  Stokes  County,  a  son  of  William 
Slate  and  a  grandson  of  Samuel  Slate.  The  early 
records  of  the  famOy  have  not  been  completely 
preserved.  However,  it  is  believed  that  Doctor 
Slate 's  great-grandfather  was  the  founder  of  the 
family  here.  He  was  a  native  of  England  and 
was  one  of  four  brothers  who  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Virginia.  Doctor  Slate 's  grand- 
father, Samuel  Slate,  was  born  in  Halifax  County, 
Virginia,  and  subsequently  bought  land  in  Yad- 
kin Townshi[)  of  Stokes  County,  where  he  became 
a  successful  general  farmer.  In  contrast  with 
the  customs  and  practices  of  the  times  he  was 
opposed  to  the  institution  of  slavery  and  chose 
to  operate  his  lands  with  free  labor.  He  married 
Lena  Hall,  the  Halls  being  early  settlers  in  North 
Carolina.  Lena  Hall 's  mother  was  of  the  old  Vir- 
ginia family  of  Dewberry.  Samuel  Slate  and 
wife  both  lived  to  old  age. 

William  Slate,  who  was  born  in  Yadkin  Town- 
ship of  Stokes  County  in  1842,  learned  the  trade 
of  millwright  and  machinist.  He  also  acquired 
land  in  Yadkin  Township,  and  while  following  his 
trade  he  superintended  the  operation  of  his  farm 
and  with  marked  success.  He  married  Lurena 
Wall,  who  was  born  in  Halifax  County,  Virginia, 
a  daughter  of  Robert  Wall.  She  died  in  January, 
1915,  having  reared  seven  children:  Lena,  Nan- 
nie, Pinekney,  Agnes,  William,  Alice  and  J. 
Wesley. 

Doctor  Slate  was  well  'educated  and  spent  his 
early  life  on  his  father 's  farm  in  Yadkin  Town- 
ship. He  attended  the  district  schools,  the  Mount 
View  Institute,  and  for  one  term  was  a  teacher 
in  Quaker  Gap  Township.  He  attended  his  first 
medical  lectures  in  the  North  Carolina  Medical 
College  at  Davidson,  and  afterward  entered  the 
LTniversity  of  Medicine  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 
where  he  was  graduated  M.  D.  in  1900.  Doctor 
Slate  at  once  began  practice  in  Yadkin  Township 
and  soon  had  a  large  practice  throughout  that 
community.  He  gave  his  time  and  best  energies 
to  his  profession  until  1912,  when  he  engaged  in 
banking  at  Winston-Salem  as  cashier  of  the 
Farmers  Union  Bank.  He  has  been  very  influen- 
tial in  making  that  institution  a  bank  of  strength 
and  of  extended  service  over  this  part  of  the  state. 

Doctor  Slate  was  married  December,  1900,  to 
Martha  Meadows,  who  was  born  in  Meadows  Town- 
ship of  Stokes  County,  a  daughter  of  WiUiam  and 
Jane  (Boles)  Meadows.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Slate 
have  six  children:  Ralph,  Frank,  Marion,  Wil- 
bur, Esmond  and  Myron.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Slate 
are  active  members  of  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church,  in  which  he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of 
deacons,  and  he  is  fraternally  affiliated  with  Wal- 
nut Cove  Lodge  No.  629,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  with  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  with 
Smith  River  Lodge  of  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
with  Walnut  Cove  Council  of  the  Junior  Order 
of  United  American  Mechanics. 

William  Samuel  Clayton  has  been  well  known 
in  the  Federal  customs  service  both  in  South  anil 
North  Carolina,  and  in  July,  1914,  was  appointed 


special  dejiuty  collector  of  United  States  customs 
at  the  Port  of  Wilmington. 

He  comes  of  an  old  South  Carolina  family,  and 
was  born  at  Elirhardt,  South  Carolina,  September 
10,  1877.  His  parents  were  Charles  Rivers  and 
Sallie  (Pulaski)  Clayton.  His  father  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  between  the  states  and  spent  his 
life  as  an  active  farmer.  William  S.  Clayton 
gained  his  early  training  ia  public  schools  and  in 
1900  graduated  A.  B.  from  the  South  Carolina 
Military  College.  After  leaving  college  he  spent 
two  years  as  a  teacher  in  high  school,  and  from 
19a2"until  1906  was  a  clerk  in  the  Atlantic  Coast 
Line  Railway.  He  then  entered  the  United  States 
customs  service,  and  his  ability  secured  him  pro- 
motion until  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  of- 
fice, with  headquarters  at  Wilmington. 

Mr.  Clayton  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order, 
is  a  deacon  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  adjutant 
of  the  George  Davis  Camp  No.  :i89  of  the  Sons  of 
Confederate    Veterans. 

On  May  26,  1902,  lie  married  Miss  Minnie  Smith 
Wescott,  of  Wilmington.  They  have  two  children, 
Minnie  Wescott  and  Emmett  Louise. 

D.  Rich  is  one  of  the  successful  men  of  North 
Carolina  today.  Success  In  his  case  has  involved 
a  long  and  steady  struggle  and  rise,  and  his  posi- 
tion as  treasurer  of  the  R.  J.  Reynolds  Tobacco 
Company  at  Winston-Salem,  North  Carolina,  means 
complicated  business  responsibilities  which  only 
a  man  of  bigness  and  breadth  in  mind  and  char- 
acter could  handle. 

Mr.  Rich 's  early  home  and  his  birthplace  was 
Mocksville  in  Davie  County,  North  Carolina.  His 
father,  Calvin  Updegrove  Rich,  was  born  on  a 
farm  in  Davie  County,  May  27,  1827.  He,  too, 
had  the  spirit  in  him  to  climb  over  handicaps  ajid 
difficulties,  and  first  acquired  such  education  as 
was  possible  in  the  local  schools,  and  then  came  to 
Salem,  North  Carolina,  where  he  became  clerk  in 
Edward  Belo's  store,  then  the  leading  mercantile 
establishment  in  this  part  of  the  state.  By  care- 
ful and  studious  attention  to  his  work  he  learned 
the  details  of  merchandising  and  after  a  few  years 
opened  a  general  store  of  his  own  in  Mocksville. 
He  made  a  success  of  his  business,  but  at  the  close 
of  the  Civil  war  in  1865  he,  with  his  neighbors 
and  friends,  sustained  a  severe  financial  loss,  due 
to  the  pressure  of  those  strenuous  times.  However, 
he  rallied  and  continued  his  mercantile  business  in 
a  small  way  for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  last 
days  were  spent  in  honored  retirement.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  C.  U.  Rich  married  Betty 
Tennessee  Williams.  She  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Yadkin  County,  North  Carolina,  Her  father, 
Thomas  Williams,  was  a  well  known  early  citizen  of 
Yadkin  County,  a  farmer,  distiller  and  slave  owner. 
He  also  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  C.  V.  Rich  reared  five  children:  Louie, 
who  married  Judge  James  A.  Williamson,  of  Taco- 
ma,  Washington ;  Thomas  W.,  who  married  Emily 
G.  Hanes  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania:  Bessie,  wife 
of  H.  T.  Brenegar,  of  Mocksville;  Dee,  which  is 
Mr.  Rich's  first  name  as  completely  spelled  out, 
and  Lena  M.,  wife  of  C.  N.  Christian,  of  Halifax, 
North  Carolina. 

As  a  boy  in  his  native  Town  of  Mocksville, 
D.  Rich  had  instruction  in  the  primary  grades  of 
the  public  schools  and  also  attended  the  high  school 
taught  by  Prof.  A.  M.  Sterling.  He  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Winston 


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HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


43 


and  entered  the  employ  of  Bvnum,  Gotten  &  Jones, 
tobacco  manufacturers.  He  was  with  them  for 
four  years,  and  next  transferred  his  serrices  to 
the  greatest  tobacco  manufacturer  of  them  all, 
B.  J.  Eeynolds.  The  more  positive  details  in  the 
career  of  Mr.  Rich  are  interestingly  described  in 
a  sketch  written  by  one  who  has  known  him  and 
which  was  published  in  the  "Open  Door."  From 
that  article  the  following  paragraphs  are  ab- 
stracted. 

' '  At  thirteen  years  of  age  young  Rich  was 
stemming  tobacco  in  a  factory  in  Mocks\'ille, 
North  Carolina,  at  ten  cents  a  day.  His  first  pay 
envelope  contained  the  not  very  munificent  sum  of 
forty  cents  for  four  full  days  of  strenuous  physi- 
cal labor.  He  later  became  associated  with  Mr. 
B.  J.  Reynolds  on  November  15,  1884,  as  manager 
of  the  rolling  and  casing  department.  At  that 
time  Mr.  Henry  Roan  was  bookkeeper.  Mr.  Roan 
subsequently  resigned  to  engage  in  business  for 
himself  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  W.  D.  Moore. 
During  the  incumbency  of  both  Mr.  Roan  and  Mr. 
Moore  it  was  Mr.  Rich's  habit  to  voluntarily  offer 
his  assistance  in  the  evening.  He  wanted  to  Jand 
in  the  bookkeeping  department,  so  availed  him- 
self of  every  opportunity  to  acquaint  himself  with 
all  of  the  intricate  details  involved  in  the  clerical 
end  of  the  business. 

"In  1893  Mr.  Moore  died  and  the  company 
began  casting  about  for  some  one  to  succeed  him. 
Mr.  Rich  applied  for  the  position  but  was  informed 
that  he  '  could  not  keep  books. '  However,  he  sur- 
prised Mr.  Reynolds  by  telling  him  he  was  fully 
competent  to  hold  down  the  job.  He  also  stated 
how  he  had  been  titting  himself  to  be  ready  to  seize 
iust  such  an  opportunity  when  it  developed.  He 
was  given  a  trial  and  gave  entire  satisfaction.  At 
that  time  he  did  practically  all  the  bookkeeping 
for  the  company.  Today  it  requires  over  five  hun- 
dred men  to  take  care  of  the  immense  volume  of 
details  connected  with  the  clerical  end  of  the  com- 
pany's affairs.  From  bookkeeping  Mr.  Rich  was 
promoted  to  cashier,  and  in  due  course  of  time  was 
made  treasurer  and  director  of  the  company,  both 
of  which  offices  he  holds  today. 

"Mr.  Rich  believes  first,  last  and  always  in 
holding  out  hope  to  the  aspiring  young  man.  He 
takes  a  special  delight  in  constantly  keeping  the 
door  of  opportunity  wide  open  for  them,  never 
once  forgetting  the  struggle  that  was  required  of 
him  to  climb  up  the  ladder  round  by  round.  His 
attitude  toward  the  men  under  him  is  far  more 
paternal  than  dictatorial ;  he  reasons  with  them — 
guides,  counsels  and  encourages  them  at  all  times. 
If  he  has  a  single  hobby  it  is  the  desire  to  help 
young  men  help  themselves  by  becoming  more  effi- 
cient. Whenever  asked  by  some  young  man  what 
are  the  chances  for  promotion  he  invariably 
replies,  'You  can  have  my  position  when  you  have 
proved  that  you  are  competent  to  till  it  satisfac- 
torily to  the  company. ' 

"Mr.  Rich  numbers  his  staunch  friends  simply 
by  the  number  of  people  he  knows,  and  he  knows 
thousands.  Genial,  optimistic  and  most  democratic 
in  manner,  not  to  mention  his  efficiency,  he  fills  his 
niche  with  the  R.  J.  Reynolds  Tobacco  Company 
with  every  degree  of  satisfaction. ' ' 

Mr.  Rich  is  an  active  member  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Winston-Salem,  is  affiliated  with 
Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  Winston  Chapter  No.  24,  Royal 
Arch  Masons,  and  Piedmont  Comniandery  No.  6, 
Knights   Templar.     He   is   also   on  the   Board   of 


Trade,  and  a  member  of  the  Twin  City  Club  and 
the  Forsyth  Country  Club.  Politically  he  is  a 
democrat. 

On  January  8,  1889,  he  married  Miss  Carrie 
Watkins.  She  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Forsyth 
County,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Hauser) 
Watkins.  The  long  and  close  companionship  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich,  beginning  when  he  was  a  strug- 
gling young  man  in  the  business  world  and  grow- 
ing even  closer  and  more  affectionate  as  prosperity 
became  assured  to  him,  was  terminated  in  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Rich  on  January  17,  1916.  The  province 
of  this  work  is  to  make  known  not  only  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  North  Carolina  but  also  its  ster- 
ling and  true  hearted  women.  For  that  reason 
there  is  singular  appropriateness  in  quoting  a  trib- 
ute paid  to  Mrs.  Rich  by  her  intimate  friend  Mrs. 
Polly  Kerr  Spencer. 

"Early  Monday  morning,  January  17,  1916, 
there  passed  from  earth's  twilight  into  the  noon- 
day glory  of  God 's  summerland  the  spirit  of  Car- 
rie Watkins  Rich.  She  was  the  second  daughter 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Watkins  and  was  born  near 
Clemmons,  North  Carolina,  but  spent  practically 
all  her  life  in  Winston-Salem,  indeed  and  in  truth 
growing  up  with  the  town.  Educated  in  Salem 
College,  she  passed  her  happy  girlhood  as  a  flower 
that  cometh  up.  She  was  married  January  8, 
1889,  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  this  city,  to 
Mr.  D.  Rich,  and  for  twenty-seven  years  she  has 
been  to  that  consecrated  Christian  gentleman  truly 
a  helpmeet  and  power  of  strength,  through  every 
change  of  time  and  fortune,  and  though  she  has 
preceded  him  to  that  '  ain  countree '  yet  will  her 
gentle  spirit  hover  over  her  best  beloved  and  guide 
and  comfort  him  in  a  tenderer  and  more  subtle 
manner  than  has  ever  before  been  possible.  There 
are  also  left  three  sisters,  Mrs.  E.  F.  Coble,  Mrs. 
J.  P.  Jeffreys,  and  that  other  self — Mrs.  W.  J. 
Conrad — all  of  Winston-Salem,  and  one  brother, 
Mr.  P.  C.  Watkins,  of  Clemmons,  North  Carolina, 
to  all  of  whom  she  was  very  dear. 

' '  A  wonderfully  comprehensive  mind  enabled 
her  to  reach  out  and  grasp  every  avenue  of  good, 
throughout  the  community,  and  her  name  stood 
first  on  the  list  in  the  promotion  of  every  good 
cause.  By  right  of  innate  goodness  and  continual 
consecration  she  was  the  accepted  leader  in  her 
church  work,  and  always  the  strong  right  hand  of 
her  beloved  pastor  under  all  circumstances.  She 
was  the  vice  president  of  the  Woman  's  Missionary 
tTnion,  of  the  State  Baptist  Convention,  president 
of  the  Young  Woman's  Christian  Association,  and 
leader  of  the  Young  Woman's  Auxiliary  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  teacher  of  the  Fidelis  Class 
in  the  Sunday  school,  and  leader  of  the  Fannie 
Heck  Circle  of  the  Missionary  Society.  Always 
with  her  hands  full  of  work,  yet  ever  ready  to 
answer  another  call,  she  knew  the  poor  and  needy 
nf  the  community  as  no  other  person  did,  and  to 
know  them  was  to  help  them  and  uplift  them  and 
to  give  to  them,  besides  material  comforts,  the 
bread  of  life,  that  was  to  her  the  very  essence  of 
living. 

"Realizing  how  full  of  purity  and  goodness,  of 
self-sacrifice,  and  of  personal  service  was  her  life, 
when  the  quiet  shadows  gather  we  sit  and  think  of 
her  as  the  very  spirit  of  gentleness,  meekness  and 
of  Christ-likeness,  lent  to  us  by  a  kind  Father  to 
show  us  the  way  home.  Methinks  that  tonight 
•5VP  gee  her  gentle  spirit,  as  it,  listening,  heard  the 
call,  rise  from  its  earthly  tenement  of  clay  and 
step  forth   Vfith  outstretched   hands,   unafraid,   to 


44 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


enter  in  with  the  hosts  of  liglit,  for  truly  she  had 
walked  with  God.  We  see  the  same  old-time  sweet 
smile  linger  on  her  face  as  her  eves  rest  on  that 
one  whom  she  had  loved  through  the  years,  and 
who  was  enshrined  in  her  heart  of  hearts — her 
beloved  husband ;  and  again  we  seem  to  see  it  lin- 
ger for  a  moment  on  the  grief  stricken  forms  of 
all  her  loved  ones  and  pass  on  in  tender  pity  to  the 
myriad  of  friends  to  whom  she  was  so  dear ;  and 
with  that  self-same  sweet  smile,  so  much  a  part 
of  her — our  last  memory  of  her  beautiful  life — 
resting  like  a  benediction  on  us  all,  we  see  the 
gates  of  Heaven  open  to  receive  her  and  'Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant,'  is  her  welcome 
home. 

' '  We  cannot  believe  that  thou  art  gone,  dear 
heart,  we  would  only  remember  that  thou  hast 
passed  into  God 's  other  room,  into  that  beautiful 
country  where  existence  is  eternal,  and  thanks 
be  to  God  thou  hast  left  for  us  the  gates  ajar, 
so  that  when  we,  like  you,  have  finished  our  work 
and  the  sands  of  life  have  run  out,  remem- 
bering Him  whom  thou  hast  loved  and  in  whose 
footsteps  we  would  follow,  may  we,  too,  close  our 
tired  eyes  and  step  into  Heaven,  where  thou  hast 
gone  to  await  us: 

' '  '  We  cannot  feel  that  thou  art  far, 
Since  near  at  hand  the  angels  are, 
And  when  the  sunset  gates  unbar. 
We  shall  surely  see  thee  waiting  stand 
And,  white  against  the  evening  star, 
The  welcoming  beckoning  of  thy  hand. ' 

"We  shall  miss  thee,  dear  heart,  miss  thee  more 
than  tongue  can  tell,  and  the  way  will  be  lonely 
without  thy  guiding  hand,  but  we  know  that  thou 
hast  grasped  that  knowledge  of  the  broader  vision 
for  which  we  have  so  often  heard  thee  pray,  and 
that  thou  art  satisfied.  Thou  hast  gloriously 
solved  the  problem  of  life  and  death  and  though 
the  pathway  seem  dark  to  the  loved  ones  left 
behind  without  thee,  we  know  that  always  we  are 
in  God's  hands  and  we  doubt  not  that: 

"  '  If  we  could  push  ajar  the  gates  of  life 
And  stand  within,  and  all  God  's  workings  see. 
We,  too,  could  interpret  all  our  doubts  and  fears, 
And  for  each  mystery  we  would  find  a  key. ' 

"Thou  art  not  dead,  beloved  one,  thou  can 'st 
not  die  so  long  as  the  memory  of  thy  beautiful 
life  and  thy  wonderful  influence  shall  live  in  the 
lives  of  thy  friends;  so  long  shalt  thou  live  upon 
the  earth  though  thy  spirit  rests  with  God. 

"So  we  say  not  to  thee  farewell,  but  au  revoir, 
for  we  know  that  somehow,  somewhere,  sometime, 
on  a  fairer  shore,  shorn  of  all  earth's  infirmities 
and  clad  in  garments  not  made  with  hands,  we 
shall  meet  thee  again  and  sit  with  thee,  around  that 
throne  eternal  in  the  heavens.  Once  again  we 
hear  thee  say  in  the  words  of  the  Master,  '  Peace 
I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you,  I  go 
away  and  come  again  unto  you.  If  ye  loved  me 
ye  would  rejoice,  because  I  go  unto  my  Father, ' 
then  beloved — 

"  'Only  good-night,  not  farewell. 

Until  we  meet  again  before  His  throne. 

Until  we  know  even  as  we  are  known, 

Good-night,  beloved,  good-night. 

Sleep  on  and  take  thy  rest. 

Only  good-night,  beloved ;  just  good-night. '  ' ' 


Major  Alexander  Hexdebson  Galloway,  who 
won  his  title  as  a  gallant  ofiicer  of  the  North 
Carolina  troops  during  the  war  between  the  states, 
has  spent  many  years  of  his  life  at  ReidsviUe  in 
Rockingham  County  and  has  been  variously  identi- 
fied with  business  and  civic  affairs  in  this  part  of 
North  Carolina  for  over  half  a  century.  Much 
of  the  history  of  Rockingham  County  revolves 
around  the  name  Galloway.  The  family  is  Scotch 
in  origin.  The  thrifty  virtues  of  Scotland  have 
predominated  in  the  Galloways  of  North  Carolina 
and  as  a  family  they  have  proved  themselves  com- 
petent in  business,  upright  citizens  and  workers 
for  the  general  welfare  in  every  direction. 

The  founder  of  this  branch  of  the  family  in 
North  Carolina  was  Robert  Galloway.  He  was 
a  native  of  Scotland,  and  immigrated  to  America 
about  1784,  two  years  after  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war.  He  was  the  only  member  of  his 
immediate  family  to  come  to  this  country.  He 
chose  as  a  home  what  was  then  the  western  fron- 
tier of  North  Carolina,  Rockingham  County.  He 
brought  with  him  a  thorough  training  in  business 
affairs,  and  became  a  merchant  at  Wentworth 
and  established  branch  stores  in  several  other  lo- 
calities. The  surplus  of  his  success  he  invested  in 
extensive  tracts  of  land,  and  his  holdings  at  one 
time  amounted  to  twenty-two  thousand  acres,  all 
in  Rockingham  County,  besides  some  other  large 
tracts  in  Tennessee.  He  had  a  large  number  of 
slaves,  and  worked  them  on  the  plantation  raising 
tobacco.  Robert  Galloway  died  at  Valley  Field 
in  Rockingham  County  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  He  reared  a  family  of  four  sons  and 
two  daughters:  Robert,  Charles,  Thomas,  Rawley, 
Eliza  and   Mary. 

Hon.  Rawley  Galloway,  the  father  of  Major 
Galloway,  was  born  in  Rockingham  County  March 
8,  1811.  Besides  the  school  advantages  given  him 
on  his  father's  plantation  he  also  attended  Chapel 
Hill  College,  and  studied  law  under  the  eminent 
Judge  Ruffin,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The 
law  as  a  career  was  not  to  his  liking,  and  he  chose 
instead  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  agriculture.  The 
lands  he  had  inherited  he  operated  profitably  with 
slave  labor,  and  kept  his  home  throughout  his  life 
at  Vallev  Field.  His  death  occurred  there  in 
April,   1872. 

Rawley  Galloway  married  Sarah  Henderson.  Her 
family  was  also  of  Scotland  and  was  established 
in  North  Carolina  even  earlier  than  the  Galloways. 
She  was  born  at  Milton  in  Caswell  County,  North 
Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  Henderson,  who 
was  born  at  Granville,  North  Carolina,  about  1780, 
a  granddaughter  of  Thomas  Henderson,  also  a 
native  of  Granville,  and  a  great-granddaughter  of 
Samuel  Henderson.  Samuel  Henderson  was  born 
in  Scotland,  came  to  America  in  Colonial  times, 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  at  Granville,  where  he 
kept  his  home  until  his  death.  His  son  Thomas 
Henderson  moved  to  Danbury  in  Guilford  County, 
and  upon  the  organization  of  that  county  became 
the  first  clerk  of  courts,  an  office  he  filled  several 
years.  Thomas  Henderson  married  Jane  Martin, 
of  Snow  Creek,  and  a  sister  of  Governor  Alex- 
ander Martin.  Alexander  Henderson,  father  of 
Mrs.  Raiwley  Galloway,  as  a  young  man  entered 
the  United  States  Federal  service  on  a  revenue 
cutter  commanded  by  Captain  Wallace,  whose 
daughter  he  afterwards  married.  On  leaving  the 
Federal  service  he  served  for  a  time  as  teller  in 
a  bank  at  Newbern,  then  removed  to  Milton, 
establishing  a  branch  of  the  bank  at  Newbern,  and 


'oMn^"^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


45 


from  there  came  to  Mount  Pleasant  in  Rocking- 
ham County,  where  he  put  in  several  years  as  a 
farmer.  Alexander  Henderson  finally  determined 
to  engage  in  the  foreign  trade  from  the  port  of 
Mobile,  and  became  an  extensive  buyer  and  ship- 
per of  cotton  to  Liverpool.  He  was  in  business 
there  about  eighteen  months  when  he  returned  to 
Mount  Pleasant  for  his  three  daughters.  His  wife 
had  died  in  the  meantime,  and  he  and  his  daugh- 
ters started  on  the  overland  journey  for  Mobile. 
At  Eskridge  on  the  National  Road  in  Tennessee 
he  was  stricken  with  fever  and  died.  His  wife 's 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Wallace.  One  of  their 
three  daughters  was  Mrs.  Rawley  Galloway,  who 
died   March   5,    1887. 

Rawley  GaJloway  was  a  man  of  prominence  in 
his  generation.  Politically  he  was  a  whig  and 
was  an  elector  from  North  Carolina  on  the  whig 
ticket  in  1848,  casting  his  vote  for  General  Taylor. 
He  also  represented  Rockingham  County  in  the 
Legislature  one  term.  He  and  his  wife  were  active 
members   of  the   Episcopal  Chureli. 

Alexander  Henderson  Galloway,  the  only  child 
of  his  parents,  spent  his  early  life  on  his  father's 
plantation  in  Rockingham  County.  He  had  the 
advantages  of  the  rural  schools  and  also  prepared 
for  college  under  private  tutors.  He  became  a 
student  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  but 
on  account  of  his  father 's  ill  health  left  before 
graduating.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  home 
farm,  and  was  thus  employed  when  the  war  broke 
out.  In  March,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F 
of  the  Forty-fifth  Regiment,  North  Carolina 
Troops.  His  first  commission  was  as  first  lieu- 
tenant. He  was  promoted  to  captain  of  his  com- 
pany, and  led  it  in  many  important  battles  until 
he  resigned  to  accept  the  office  of  quartermaster 
of  Scales  Brigade.  He  remained  with  the  com- 
mand until  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  and  then 
having  given  the  best  of  his  strength  and  service 
to  the  Southern  cause  he  accepted  the  decision 
of  arms  and  returned  home. 

For  two  years  after  the  war  he  traveled  over 
the  South  as  a  tobacco  salesman,  and  then  resumed 
farming  on  the  old  homestead.  In  1882  Major 
Galloway  removed  to  Reidsville,  operated  a  to- 
bacco warehouse  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  after 
that  his  time  was  largely  taken  up  with  public 
and  official  affairs.  He  was  elected  sheriff  of 
Rockingham  County,  and  office  he  held  by  re-elec- 
tion for  six  years.  This  was  followed  by  three 
terms  as  mayor  of  Reidsville,  and  he  was  then 
appointed  postmaster.  After  four  years  as  post- 
master he  retired  and  has  since  looked  after  his 
private  affairs. 

On  October  26,  1858,  Major  Galloway  married 
Miss  Sally  Scales.  She  was  born  in  Rockingham 
County,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Jane  (Bethell)  Scales,  and  a  sister  of  General 
Scales,  the  old  commander  under  whom  Major 
Galloway  served  during  the  war.  Mrs.  Galloway 
died  in  1901.  Both  she  and  her  husband  were  very 
active  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church  at  Reids- 
ville, and  reared  their  family  in  the  same  faith. 
They  had  eight  children:  Mary  Wallace,  Robert 
Scales,  Jane  Bethell,  Alexander  Henderson,  Jr., 
Rawley,  Emma  Scales,  Annie  Irving  and  Alfred 
Scales. 

Robert  Scales  Galloway,  a  sou  of  Maj.  Alex- 
ander H.  Galloway,  of  Reidsville,  whose  career 
is  found  identified  through  the  greater  part  of  his 


business  career  with  Winston-Salem,  where  he  is 
now  serving  as  postmaster-  of  the  Twin  City. 

He  was  horn  at  Valley  Field  in  Rockingham 
County,  and  grew  up  in  that  county,  partly  on  the 
plantation  of  his  father  and  partiv  in  the  Town 
of  Reidsville.  His  first  instructor  was  his  aunt. 
Miss  Emma  Scales,  who  afterward  founded  the 
Reidsville  Female  Academy.  Later  he  was  a 
student  in  the  Boys'  School  at  Reidsville,  and 
there  he  was  under  the  instruction  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Currie,  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

His  first  work  after  leaving  school  was  a  clerk- 
ship at  Reidsville.  With  considerable  business 
experience  to  his  credit  he  came  to  Winston  as 
bookkeeper  for  Watt  &  Webb,  proprietors  of  the 
Orinoco  Warehouse.  He  remained  with  that 
firm  as  long  as  they  were  in  business  and  toward 
the  close  of  Mr.  Cleveland's  second  administration 
accepted  an  appointment  as  deputy  revenue  col- 
lector. From  the  Federal  service  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  R.  J.  Reynolds  Tobacco  Company  as 
bookkeeper  and  remained  with  that  great  indus- 
trial organization  for  eight  years.  He  resigned  to 
go  into  business  for  himself,  organizing  the  Stand- 
ard Building  and  Loan  Association,  of  which  he 
became  director,  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  was 
one  of  the  officials  most  actively  identified  with 
that  organization  until  1913.  In  that  year  Mr. 
Galloway  was  appointed  postmaster,  and  was  the 
first  official  to  occupy  the  handsome  new  Postoffice 
Building  at  Winston-Salem. 

On  December  7,  1905,  he  married  Miss  Ida 
Miller.  Mrs.  Galloway  was  born  in  Indian  Terri- 
tory, now  the  State  of  Oklahoma,  a  daughter  of 
Frank  and  Ida  (Wharton)  Miller,  both  of  whom 
were  from  Forsyth  County,  North  Carolina.  Frank 
Miller  for  some  years  engaged  in  business  in 
Indian  Territory  ijut  finally  returned  to  Forsyth 
County,  North  Carolina.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Galloway 
have  two  children :     Ida  Clifton  and  Louisa  Scales. 

The  family  are  active  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  Mr.  Galloway  is  a  vestryman. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Twin  City  Club,  the  Rotary 
Club,  and  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks.  His  first  presidential  ballot  was  given  to 
Grover  Cleveland,  and  he  has  been  a  steadfast 
and  loyal  democrat  ever  since. 

Conner  J.  Cottinghaji.  To  be  financially  in- 
terested in  the  prominently  identified  with  both 
railroad  and  lumber  interests  in  a  prosperous  com- 
munity indicates  a  large  mea.sure  of  business 
.sta)iility,  and  such  is  a  fact  in  regard  to  Conner 
J.  Cottingham,  a  leading  citizen  of  Alma,  North 
Carolina,  who  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
Alma  Lumlier  Company,  and  secretary  and  general 
manager  of  the  Maxton,  Alma  &  Southbound  Rail- 
road. While  Mr.  Cottingham  is  not  a  native  of 
Robeson  County,  almost  his  entire  life  has  been 
spent  here. 

Conner  J.  Cottingham  was  born  in  Marion 
County,  South  Carolina,  December  24,  1872.  His 
parents  were  A.  J.  and  Annie  (Jackson)  Cotting- 
ham, the  latter  of  whom  is  deceased.  In  1875 
A.  J.  Cottingham  moved  with  his  family  from 
Marion  County,  South  Carolina,  to  Maxton,  Robe- 
son County,  North  Carolina,  and  established  him- 
self there  in  the  mercantile  business,  becoming  in 
time,  one  of  the  leading  merchants  in  the  county, 
doing  an  extensive  business  witli  farmers  over 
a  wide  territory.  Since  retiring  from  merchandis- 
ing he  has  devoted  himself  to  farm  pursuits  and  to 
large  lumber  interests. 


46 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  Maxtou  public  schools  provided  Conner  J. 
Cottingham  with  his  educational  training.  As  a 
boy  he  began  to  learn  the  first  principles  of  busi- 
ness in  assisting  his  father  in  his  store,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  associated  with  liim  until  two  years 
after  he  was  married.  For  about  four  years  after- 
ward he  was  employed  by  his  l:irother,  L.  T.  Cot- 
tingham. In  the  meanwhile  he  had  become 
otherwise  interested,  finding  a  promising  business 
opportunity  in  the  great  lumber  industry,  and  in 
1906  became  an  official  of  the  Alma  Lumber  Com- 
pany of  Alma,  two  miles  from  Maxton.  This 
company  since  then  has  been  developed  into  one 
of  the  largest  manufacturing  agencies  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  The  president  of  the  company 
is  Maj.  A.  J.  McMinnon,  and  its  secretary  and 
treasurer  is  Conner  J.  Cottingham.  The  Lumber 
Veneer  Company  was  incorporated  May  1,  1918, 
and  three  fourths  of  the  stock  is  owned  by  the 
Alma.  Lumber  Company,  Major  McKinnon  being  its 
president,  J.  H.  Taylor  its  secretary  and  manager, 
and  Conner  J.  Cottingham  its  treasurer. 

Mr.  Cottingham  has  been  associated  for  some 
years  also  witli  Major  McKinnon,  a  capitalist  and 
most  enterprising  and  progressive  business  man, 
in  a  railroad  enterprise,  the  building  and  operat- 
ing of  the  Maxton,  Alma  &  Southbound  Railroad, 
of  which  Major  McKinnon  is  president  and  Mr. 
Cottingham  is  secretary  and  general  manager. 
This  road  was  built  under  Mr.  Cottingham 's 
management  and  direction  and  began  operation  on 
November  4,  1912.  It  is  a  local  enterprise  of 
which  the  citizens  of  this  section  are  justly  proud. 
It  has  a  mileage  of  fifteen  miles  and  extends  from 
Alma,  where  it  connects  with  the  Seaboard  Air- 
line to  Rowland,  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  Road. 
It  has  proved  a  successful  venture  as  it  traverses 
a  rich  and  prosperous  agricultural  and  lumber 
manufacturing  section,  and  does  a  general  freight 
and  passenger  business.  Its  affairs  have  always 
been  well  and  honestly  managed  and  much  credit 
is  due  Mr.  Cottingham. 

Mr.  Cottingham  married  Miss  Mamie  McCallum, 
who  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  and  prominent 
Scotch  families  of  the  county,  and  they  have  six 
children :  Annie  Montgomery,  Henry  M.,  Conner 
J.,  Angus  F.,  Margaret  and  Graham  Kirkpatrick. 

Alexander  Stephens  Holden,  who  was  long 
favorably  known  as  a  salesman  at  Wilmington, 
has  since  1905  been  in  the  insurance  business  as 
district  agent  for  the  Mutual  Benefit  Life  Insurance 
Company,  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  with  head- 
quarters  at  Wilmington. 

Mr.  Holden,  who  has  been  a  factor  in  the  civic 
and  social  life  of  his  home  city,  was  born  at  Wil- 
mington November  2,  1861,  a  son  of  Samuel  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  Ann  (Barlow)  Holden.  His  father 
was  for  many  years  a  machinist  with  the  Atlantic 
Coast  Line  Railroad  Company.  After  an  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  at  Wilmington,  Alex- 
ander S.  Holden  found  his  first  opportunity  as 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store.  Later  for  twenty-five 
years  he  was  in  the  shoe  business,  and  part  of 
that  time  was  a  traveling  salesman  with  territory 
in  all  the  southern  states.  He  finally  gave  uji 
mercantile  lines  to  accept  the  district  agency  of 
the  Mutual  Benefit  Life. 

He  has  long  been  prominent  in  Masonry,  is  now 
serving  as  secretary  of  St.  John's  Lodge  No.  1, 
Ancient  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  at  Wilmington, 
and  is  secretary  of  the  Sepia  Grotto  No.  79,  M.  O. 
V.  P.  E.  R.     He  is  also  chairman  of  the  Credential 


Committee  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  ifc 
Accepted  Masons.  In  191-t  the  county  commis- 
sioners of  New  Hanover  County  unanimously  chose 
him  county  coroner,  and  he  has  filled  that  office 
with  credit  ever  since.  In  1916  he  was  elected 
by  popular  vote  to  the  office.  That  was  almost 
a  unanimous  declaration  in  favor  of  his  official 
conduct  and  an  evidence  of  his  high  standing 
in  the  community.  Mr.  Holden  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Wilmington,  is 
chorister  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  has  sung 
in  the  choirs  of  the  leading  churches  of  the  city 
for  the  past  twenty-five  years. 

January  17,  1884,  he  married  Miss  Josephine 
Taylor,  daughter  of  Joseph  W.  and  Flora  Ann 
(Perry)  Taylor.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holden  have  tliree 
children.  Ethel  Clarice  married  M.  E.  Graham, 
bookkeeper  for  a  lumber  plant  at  Green  Cove 
Springs,  Florida,  and  they  have  two  children,  Mar- 
ion E.  and  Josephine.  Bessie  Morrison  is  the  wife 
of  Alva  H.  Standlaud,  bookkeeper  for  a  lumber 
plant  at  Newbern,  North  Carolina,  and  their  three 
children  are  Alva  H.,  Jr.,  Josephine  and  Bettie 
Patterson.  Arnold  Willey,  the  youngest  child  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holden,  is  now  attending  private 
school. 

Edwin  Llewellyn  Travis.  One  of  the  most 
important  positions  in  the  State  Government  is 
held  by  Edwin  Llewellyn  Travis  as  chairman  of 
the  Corporation  Commission,  an  office  he  has  held 
for  the  past  six  years.  Mr.  Travis  is  a  lawyer  by 
profession,  and  a  man  of  wide  experience  in  state 
polities.  For  a  number  of  terms  he  was  in  the 
State  Senate,  and  took  a  very  prominent  part  in 
securing  the  adoption  of  the  suffrage  amendment 
to  the  constitution,  a  few  years  ago. 

A  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  Brunswick  Coun- 
ty June  6,  1866,  he  has  lived  in  North  Carolina 
since  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age  and  has  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  His  parents  were  Ed- 
ward W.  and  Mary  Harrison  (Clark)  Travis.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  and  also  a  surveyor. 

Mr.  Travis  after  leaving  the  public  schools  had 
to  use  his  wits  and  industry  to  contrive  means  of 
self  support  and  it  was  the  self  reliance  developed 
by  overcoming  obstacles  that  proved  an  invaluable 
resource  to  him  in  his  later  professional  career. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  lived  at  Halifax,  North 
Carolina,  wliere  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Robert  O.  Burton.  Admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1890,  the  next  three  years  he  was  in  prac- 
tice with  his  former  preceptor  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Burton  &  Travis.  After  that  he  practiced 
alone  in  Halifax. 

Mr.  Travis  was  elected  and  served  in  the  State 
Senate  from  Halifax  during  the  sessions  of  1899, 
1901,  1903  and  1909.  It  was  in  1909  that  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  which  prepared 
the  suffrage  amendment  to  the  constitution,  and 
afterwards  he  was  unanimously  selected  to  make 
the  speech  for  the  measure  representing  the  ma- 
jority party.  Later  the  Senate  presented  him  with 
the  pen  which  had  been  used  to  ratify  the  measure, 
and  that  is  a  token  of  appreciation  and  service 
which  he  greatly  cherishes.  Mr.  Travis  is  a  keen 
debater,  and  that  fact  has  been  made  apparent 
through  all  phases  of  his  legal  and  political  career. 
He  has  proved  a  forceful  campaigner,  and  in  1898 
and  again-  in  1900  was  chairman  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Committee  and  has  been  a  factor  in  other 
campaigns  in  the  state. 

Governor    W.   W.    Kitchen  first   appointed   Mr. 


i     VilZ  f:Z".''  YORK 


TILDE 


ARY 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


47 


Travis  a  member  of  the  Corporation  Commission  of 
North  Carolina,  and  in  1914  he  was  elected  to  that 
oHice  for  the  regular  term  of  six  years.  He  has 
been  chairman  of  the  board  since  1913.  He  is  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason  and  Shriner,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Country  and  Capital  clubs  at  Ealeigh. 

In  August,  1894,  Commissioner  Travis  married 
Miss  Jennie  Outlaw  Grady,  daughter  of  Rev.  Louis 
G.  and  Mary  (Ruffin)  Grady.  Her  father  was  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Travis  have  two  sons:  Kdward  L.  and 
Louis  G.,  both  of  whom  are  now  students  in  the 
University  of  North  Carolina. 

William  Thomas  Pfohl,  deceased,  was  long 
and  prominently  known  in  business  affairs  at  Win- 
ston-Salem. He  is  kindly  and  affectionately 
remembered  by  his  surviving  comrades  of  the  war 
between  the  states,  and  especially  in  Norfleet  Camp 
of  the  United  Confederate  Veterans,  in  which 
he  was  an  active  member  for  many  years.  He  did  a 
soldier's  duty,  and  in  civil  life  and  in  those  rela- 
tions which  brought  him  into  contact  with  his 
leUovraien  he  proved  equally  loyal,  just,  upright 
and  honorable.  The  original  name  Pfohl  was 
spelled  "Phole." 

The  Pfohl  family  has  many  associations  with 
the  old  Town  of  Salem  and  also  of  the  City  of 
Winston-Salem.  His  grandfather,  Rev.  Christian 
Thomas  Pfohl,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1759.  He 
was  reared  in  the  old  country  and  liberally  edu- 
cated. When  a  young  man  he  came  to  America 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  charge  of  the  Boys ' 
School  at  Salem,  North  Carolina.  For  several 
years  he  remained  as  an  instructor  in  that  insti- 
tution, and  then,  having  been  ordained  for  the 
ministry,  became  pastor  of  the  Moravian  Church 
at  Bethania,  which  he  served  upwards  of  twenty 
years.  His  death  occurred  in  1838,  when  nearly 
eighty  years  old. 

Gottlieb  Pfohl,  father  of  the  late  William  T. 
Pfohl,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Forsyth  County 
and  as  a  young  man  learned  the  jeweler's  trade. 
He  was  in  the  jewelry  business  and  also  in  music 
merchandise  at  different  places.  For  a  time  he 
was  located  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  afterward  at 
New  Orleans,  where  he  spent  his  last  years.  He 
married  Anna  Janette  Grenshaw,  of  the  prominent 
Virginia  family  of  that  name.  She  also  died  in 
New  Orleans.  Her  three  sons  were  Theodore, 
Henry  and  William  Thomas,  and  her  three  daugh- 
ters, Eetta,  Susan  and  Sally. 

The  late  William  Thomas  Pfohl  was  born  Sep- 
tember 17,  1840.  At  the  time  of  his  birth  his 
mother  was  on  the  steamer  Annie  Calhoun,  of 
which  his  uncle  was  captain,  off  the  coast  of 
Florida.  When  he  was  a  boy  of  tender  years  he 
was  sent  to  Salem  to  be  educated,  and  while  ther« 
attended  the  Salem  Boys'  School.  He  had  hardly 
attained  his  years  of  majority  when  the  war  broke 
out  between  the  states,  and  he  enlisted  as  a  drum- 
mer in  Companies  D  and  L  of  the  Twenty-first 
Regiment  North  Carolina  Troops.  He  went  with 
that  regiment  through  all  its  numerous  campaigns. 
He  bore  himself  bravely  in  the  face  of  the  enemy 's 
bullets  and  never  faltered  in  any  emergency  or 
danger.  He  was  twice  wounded.  A  minie  ball 
struck  the  end  of  his  finger  and  penetrated  his  arm, 
and  at  another  time  he  was  wounded  in  the  ankle. 
His  name  appears  in  the  oflBcial  list  of  those 
paroled  at  Appomattox. 

After  the  war  he  returned  to  Winston  and  was 
collector  of  taxes  for  the  town  ten  years.     For  six 


years  he  was  in  the  grocery  business.  Much  of  his 
time  was  spent  in  some  official  duties,  and  he 
served  as  city  detective  until  the  World  's  Fair  at 
Chicago  in  1893,  and  was  assigned  to  similar  duty 
on  tlie  grounds  of  the  exposition  in  that  city. 
On  returning  to  North  Carolina  he  was  given  a 
place  on  the  state  detective  force  of  South  Caro- 
lina, but  after  a  while  returned  to  Winston-Salem. 
For  several  years  he  was  a  collector  of  rents,  and 
then  engaged  in  the  general  advertising  and  bill 
posting  business,  which  he  developed  to  success- 
ful proportions.  He  was  still  active  in  this  busi- 
ness at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
November  6,  1913. 

He  was  survived  by  his  widow  and  one  daugh- 
ter. Mrs.  Pfohl  still  lives  in  Winston-Salem  and 
she  continues  the  business  as  manager  of  the 
Dixie  Poster  Advertising  Company  with  home 
oflSce  in  Richmond,  Virginia.  She  is  one  of  a  few 
lady  managers  of  that  kind  of  business.  Before 
her  marriage  she  was  Roxana  Lutitia  Farabee. 
They  were  married  July  19,  1882.  Mrs.  Pfohl  is  a 
native  of  Winston.  Her  father,  Samuel  Wesley 
Farabee,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Davidson  County, 
and  his  parents  were  natives  of  England  and  of 
English  lineage,  being  early  settlers  in  Davidson 
County.  Mrs.  Pfohl 's  father  was  reared  on  a 
farm,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  moved  to  Salem. 
He  arrived  in  that  town  dressed  in  homespun  and 
had  had  practically  no  experience  except  that  of  a 
farmer  boy.  He  had  neither  friends  nor  money, 
but  soon  acquired  both,  and  he  became  one  of  the 
steadiest  and  most  reliable  workmen  in  the  Phillip 
Nissen  wagon  factory  at  Waughtown.  After 
learning  the  trade  he  bought  some  property  on 
Liberty,  Sixth  and  Trade  streets  in  Winston  and 
built  up  a  business  of  his  own  as  a  wagon  manu- 
facturer. His  output  was  calculated  to  win 
increased  favor  with  passing  years,  and  in  time  he 
found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  highly  profitable 
business.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Winston  until 
his  death.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Mary  Riggs,  who  was  born  in  Surrey  Coimty, 
North  Carolina.  Her  first  husband  was  Thomas 
Highland  of  Utica,  New  York,  who  died  leaving 
three  daughters,  named  Julia,  Maggie  and  Adelia. 
Mrs.  Pfohl  was  her  father 's  only  daughter  and 
inherited  his  estate,  including  the  fine  old  home- 
stead at  the  corner  of  Liberty  and  Sixth  Street. 
That  was  her  own  home  until  1917,  when  she  sold 
part  of  the  property  and  bought  the  home  on  South 
Main  Street  where  she  now  resides.  Mrs.  Pfohl 
is  an  active  and  helpful  member  of  the  Centenary 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  She  is  the  mother  of 
one  daughter,  Robah  Janette,  now  the  wife  of 
Beimon  Ora  Jones,  Winston-Salem. 

Thomas  Perbin  Harrison,  an  educator  of 
twenty-five  years'  experience  and  now  dean  of  the 
North  Carolina  State  College  of  Agriculture  and 
Engineering  Arts  at  West  Raleigh,  was  born  at 
Abbeville,  South  Carolina,  October  11,  1864,  son 
of  Francis  Eugene  and  Mary  Eunice  (Perrin)  Har- 
rison. His  youth  was  spent  on  his  father's  plan- 
tation at  Aii'dersonville  in  Anderson  County,  South 
Carolina.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  entered  the 
South  Carolina  Military  Academy  at  Charleston, 
from  which  after  the  regular  four  years '_  college 
course  he  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Science  in 
1886. 

After  graduation  he  was  appointed  to  an  in- 
structorship  of  English  in  his  alma  mater,  and  at 
once   began   his   duties.     After  two  years   he   re- 


48 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


signed  in  order  to  take  advanced  courses  at  Johns 
Hopkins  University  at  Baltimore.  While  there 
the  university  honored  him  with  a  scholarship  and 
a  fellowship,  and  in  1891  conferred  upon  him 
the  degree  Doctor  of  Philosophy. 

Doctor  Harrison  has  occupied  the  following  posi- 
tions: At  the  South  Carolina  Military  Academy, 
instructor  in  English,  1886-1888;  at  Clerason  Co"l- 
lege,  South  Carolina,  assistant  professor  and  sub- 
sequently associate  professor  of  English,  1891-96; 
at  Davidson  College,  professor  of  English,  1896- 
1909;  at  the  North  Carolina  State  College  of  Agri- 
culture and  Engineering,  professor  of  English, 
1909,  and  dean  of  the  college  since  1910. 

In  1894  he  married  Adelia  Lake,  daughter  of 
Rev.  Dr.  James  Turner  Leftwich  of  Baltimore. 
They  have  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Doctor  Harrison  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  of  the  Kappa  Alpha  Fraternity,  of 
the  State  Farmers'  Union  and  the  Teachers'  As- 
sembly, the  Raleigh  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of 
the  International  Association  of  Teachers  of  Eng- 
lish. He  and  his  family  reside  at  160;i  Hillsboro 
Street  in  Raleigh. 

Thornwell  Gibsox  Fukr.  Possessing  to  a 
marked  degree  the  abilities  which  have  made  him 
a  thorough  and  exact  scholar  in  many  branches 
of  the  law,  Thornwell  G.  Furr,  of  Salisbury,  just- 
ly occupies  a  place  of  note  in  the  legal  circles 
of  Rowan  County.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Atwell  Townshipj  Rowan  County,  of  German  an- 
cestry, his  line  of  descent  being  as  follows: — 
Henry,  Henry,  John,  Samuel  Monroe,  and  Thorn- 
well  Gibson. 

Henry  Furr  was  born,  reared  and  married  in 
Germany.  Immigrating  to  America  in  colonial 
days,  he  landed  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
after  a  tedious  ocean  voyage  of  several  weeks. 
Soon  after,  with  his  wife  and  infant  son,  whose 
birth  had  occurred  during  the  voyage  across  the 
ocean,  he  made  his  way  by  wagon  to  what  is 
now  Cabarrus  County,  North  Carolina,  becoming 
one  of  its  earliest  pioneers.  Securing  a  tract  of 
wild  land  on  Gold  Water  Creek,  six  miles  south- 
east of  the  present  site  of  Concord,  he  began  the 
improvement  of  a  homestead,  and  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 

Henry  Furr,  born  on  board  ship  while  his 
parents  were  en  route  to  America,  grew  up  on  the 
home  farm  in  Cabarrus  County,  and  when  but  six- 
teen years  of  age  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  fought  bravely  with  the  colo- 
nists in  tlieir  struggle  for  liberty.  An  ardent  pa- 
triot, and  a  fluent  speaker,  he  was  afterwards 
called  upon  to  deliver  the  oration  at  a  Fourth  of 
July  celebration.  He  was  a  man  of  physical  and 
mental  vigor,  and  lived  to  the  venerable  age  of 
ninety-six  years.  He  married,  and  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  nine  children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 

John  Furr  spent  his  entire  life  of  three  score 
years  in  Township  No.  2,  Cabarrus  County, 
throughout  his  active  life  having  cafried  on  gen- 
eral farming  with  slave  help.  He  married,  April 
28,  1808,  Sarah  Boger.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  Boger,  who  owned  and  operated  Soger's 
Mill,  which  is  now  known  as  Boss  Mill.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  eight  of  them 
being  sons,  as  follows:  Allison,  Henry,  Daniel, 
John  Simpson,  Tobis,  William  A.,  James  Burton, 
and  Samuel  Monroe. 

Samuel  Monroe  Furr  was  born  February  ?>. 
1828,  in   Township  No.   2,  Cabarrus   County,   and 


was  there  reared  to  agricultural  jiursuits.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years,  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land  on  Coddle  Creek,  Atwell  Township,  Rowan 
County,  erected  a  comfortable  house,  and  with 
the  assistance  of  his  slaves  began  to  cultivate  the 
land.  During  the  Ci^l  war,  he  served  as  captain 
of  the  Home  Guard.  He  was  quite  successful  as 
an  agriculturist,  and  having  purchased  a  farm  ad- 
joining his  own,  he  lived  upon  it  until  1902.  He 
then  removed  to  Mocksville,  Iredell  County,  where 
he  is  now  living,  retired  from  active  pursuits.  On 
November  3,  18.5.3,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lucilla  McNeeley,  a  native  of  Iredell  County,  be- 
ing a  daughter  of  .Joel  McNeeley,  a  well-known 
farmer.  Her  mother  was  a  great-granddaughter  of 
Capt.  William  Gilbert  Falls,  who  was  killed  in  the 
Battle  of  Ramsouers  Hill,  June  20,  1780.  Mrs. 
Samuel  M.  Furr  is  still  living,  being  eighty-seven 
years  of  age.  To  her  and  her  husband  eight  chil- 
dren were  liorn,  namely :  Alice  Elizabeth,  Chal- 
mers Victor,  Sarah  Isabelle,  -Junius  Monroe,  James 
Edgar,  deceased;  Walter  Espey,  Thornwell  Gib- 
son, and  Clarence  L. 

Thornwell  Gibson  obtained  the  rudiments  of  his 
education  in  the  district  schools,  and  after  com- 
pleting a  course  of  study  in  the  high  school  earned 
enough  money  by  teaching  school  to  enable  him 
to  enter  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
North  Carolina,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1907,  having  in  the  meantime  paid  his  college  ex- 
penses by  spending  his  vacations  as  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools.  Being  licensed  by  the  Superior 
Court  to  practice  law,  Mr.  Furr  located  in  Salis- 
bury, where  his  legal  talent  and  skill  are  recog- 
nized and  appreciated. 

Hox.  Hugh  G.  Chatham.  Possessing  in  a  large 
measure  the  energy,  force  of  character  and  pro- 
gressive spirit  necessary  for  the  successful  con- 
duct of  business  affairs  of  importance  and  magni- 
tude, Hon.  Hugh  G.  Chatham,  of  Winston-Salem, 
Forsyth  County,  has  contributed  appreciably  to- 
ward the  development  and  advancement  of  the 
manufacturing,  railway  and  financial  interests  of 
Western  North  Carolina,  his  influence  being  felt 
in  public  affairs  and  in  private  enterprises.  A 
native  of  Surry  County,  he  was  born  on  a  plan- 
tation on  the  present  site  of  Elkin,  a  son  of  Hon. 
Alexander  Chatham  and  grandson  of  Martin  Chat- 
ham, a  pioneer  of  Wilkes  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. He  comes  of  English  ancestry,  his  great- 
grandfather on  the  paternal  side  having  emigrated 
from  England  to  America  when  yonng,  settling  in 
Virginia,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life. 

Martin  Chatham  was  born  in  Augusta  County, 
Virginia,  in  1803,  and  there  learned  the  trade  of 
a  blacksmith  and  machinist.  In  1828,  in  company 
with  Major  Finley,  General  Patterson  and  others, 
he  came  to  Wilkesboro,  North  Carolina,  and  having 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  established  a  black- 
smith's shop,  which  he  operated  until  his  death, 
at  the  age  of  three  score  and  ten  years.  The  maid- 
en name  of  his  wife,  grandmother  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  Elizabeth  Cass.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Moses  and  Elizabeth  (Jones)  Cass. 
She  reared  thirteen  children,  and  five  of  her  sons 
enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army,  two  of  thenj 
being  killed  while  in  service. 

Hon.  Alexander  Chatham  was  born  January  14, 
1834,  in  Wilkesboro,  North  Carolina,  and  as  a  lad 
of  ten  years  began  working  in  his  father  's  smithy. 


^  I  ■  / 


r       /O' 


C-A^-^-^'H.yL. 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


49 


Being  a  natural  meelianic,  he  soon  became  an  ex- 
pert in  the  use  of  tools  and  very  piroticient  as  a 
workman.  Removing  to  Elkin,  Surry  County,  when 
about  twenty-five  years  old,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Elkin  Manufacturing  Company,  which  was 
then  operating  with  about  thirty  hands,  and  con- 
tinued with  that  concern  until  after  his  marriage, 
when  he  embarked  in  mercantile  and  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  1878,  in  company  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  Thomas  Gwyn,  he  built  a  small  woolen  mill 
on  Elkin  Creek,  and,  under  the  firm  name  of  Gwyn 
&  Chatham,  operated  it  successfully  for  twelve 
years,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  nearest  rail- 
road was  forty  miles  away.  About  that  time  his 
sons,  Hugh  G.,  Richard  and  Paul,  and  Capt.  G. 
T.  Roth  purchased  Mr.  Gwyn  's  interest  in  the  firm 
and  incorporated  it  under  the  name  of  the  Chat- 
ham Manufacturing  Company,  with  Mr.  Alexander 
Chatham  as  president.  Three  years  later  he  re- 
signed the  presidency  and  organized  the  Elkin 
National  Bank,  to  the  affairs  of  which  as  presi- 
dent, he  has  devoted  his  time  and  energies. 

Hon.  Alexander  Chatham  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. The  maiden  name  of  his  first  wife  was  Mary 
Elizabeth  Gwyn.  She  was  born  in  Elkin,  Surry 
County,  in  1840,  a  daughter  of  Richard  Gwyn. 
Her  grandfather,  James  Givyn,  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, came  to  North  Carolina  at  an  early  day,  set- 
tling in  Wilkes  County.  Buying  an  estate  neai; 
Bonda,  he  erected  a  fine  mansion,  which  he  occu- 
pied many  years,  and  which  is  still  standing,  be- 
ing one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  county.  He  was 
an  extensive  planter,  operating  with  slave  labor. 
James  Gwyn  married  Martha  Lenoir,  whose  father, 
Thomas  Lenoir,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  being  captured  by  the  British  was  con- 
fined as  a  prisoner  in  Camden,  South  Carolina. 
His  daughter  Martha,  then  a  brave  little  girl  of 
twelve  summers,  visited  him  in  prison,  carrying 
him  clothes  and  food,  making  the  journey  on  horse- 
tiack,  and  being  accompanied  by  a  negro  servant. 
She  met  Lord  Cornwallis,  who,  after  hearing  of 
her  perilous  trip,  released  her  father,  who  returned 
home  with  her.  Mr.  Lenoir  was  a  large  land- 
owner, his  estate  comprising  upwards  of  two  thou- 
sand acres  of  land. 

Richard  Gwyn,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  the  Gwyn  home- 
stead, "Green  Hill,"  near  Ronda,  Wilkes  County. 
Inheriting  a  part  of  the  parental  estate,  he  man- 
aged it  with  the  help  of  slaves,  and  from  time 
to  time  added  to  his  landed  possessions,  by  pur- 
chase, until  he,  too,  was  owner  of  more  than  two 
thousand  acres.  He  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
four  score  and  four  years.  An  active  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  he  served 
as  class  leader  and  as  steward.  He  was  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  and  represented  Wilkes  County 
in  the  State  Legislature.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Hunt,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Hunt,  of  Jonesville, 
Yadkin  County.  Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth  (Gwyn) 
Chatham  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-five  years, 
leaving  three  sons,  namely,  Hugh  G.,  the  special 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Richard  M. ;  and  Paul. 
After  the  death  of,  his  first  wife,  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Chatham  married  Miss  Alice  Hickerson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lytle  Hickerson,  who  served  as  a  major  in 
the  Mexican  war.  Of  this  union  four  children 
liave  been  born,  namely,  Alexander,  Jr.,  Raymond, 
Daniel  and  Myrtle. 

Hugh  Chatham  acquired  his  elementary  educa- 
tion in  the  Elkin  public  school,  and  after  his  grad- 
uation  from   the  Jonesville   High   School  took  an 


advanced  course  of  study  at  Vanderbilt  Univer- 
sity in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  remaining  as  a  stu- 
dent in  that  institution  two  years.  Beginning 
work  then  in  his  father's  woolen  mill,  which 
had  just  been  completed,  he  operated  the  first 
loom  in  the  mill.  He  learned  the  entire  process 
of  making  cloth  from  the  raw  material  to  the  fin- 
ished product,  and  when  perfect  in  the  details  of 
manufacturing  turned  his  attention  to  the  busi- 
ness part  of  that  industry,  mastering  that  also. 
Upon  tlie  organization  of  the  Chatham  Manufac- 
turing Company,  Mr.  Chatham  was  made  president 
of  the  concern,  and  has  continued  in  that  respon- 
sible jiosition  to  the  present  time,  the  business 
under  his  judicious  management  being  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition.  Soon  after  he  assumed  the  presi- 
dency the  mill  was  transferred  from  Elkin  Creek 
to  a  site  on  the  railroad,  and  a  small  brick  build- 
ing was  erected.  The  business  grew  with  remark- 
able rapidity,  requiring  large  additions  to  the 
original  mill,  and  in  1906  the  company,  owing  to 
its  increased  business,  established  a  factory  in 
Winston-Salem,  where  Mr.  Chatham  is  now  resid- 
ing, being  not  only  one  of  the  more  active  and 
successful  business  men  of  the  city,  but  prominent 
in  its  social  life. 

Mr.  Chatham  married,  in  1894,  Miss  Martha 
Lenoir  Thurmond.  She  was  born  in  Ripley,  Mis- 
sissippi, a  daughter  of  Richard  Jackson  and  Mar- 
garet (Miller)  Thurmond.  Two  children  have 
blessed  their  union,  Richard  Thurmond  Chatham 
and  De  Witt  Chatham. 

Officially  connected  wdth  various  organizations, 
Mr.  Chatham  is  a  director  of  the  Wachovia  Bank 
and  Trust  Company.  In  1901  he  was  appointed 
president  of  the  North  Carolina  Railroad  Company 
by  Governor  Aycoek,  and  was  reappointed 
to  the  same  responsible  position  by  Gover- 
nor Glen,  his  executive  ability  and  busi- 
ness acumen  eminently  fitting  him  for  the  office. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  Elkin 
and  Alleghany  Railroad  Company,  which  he  is 
now  serving  as  vice  president.  Mr.  Chatham  has 
always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  public  matters, 
and  in  1913  had  the  honor  of  being  elected  to  the 
State  Senate.  While  there  he  served  as  chairman 
of  the  Finance  Committee  and  as  a  member  of 
several  committees  of  minor  importance. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Chatham  is  a  member  of  Win- 
ston Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Order  of  Masons;  of  Elkin  Lodge  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias;  and  of  the  Junior  Order  of  United 
American  Mechanics.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Twin 
City  Club  and  to  the  Forsyth  Country  Club. 

Hon.  John  Fewel  Reynolds  of  Winston-Salem 
has  long  been  prominent  both  in  the  business  and 
official  life  of  that  city,  and  for  many  years  held 
the  position  of  deputy  internal  revenue  collector 
at  Winston.  He  also  served  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature and  as  a  republican  has  done  much  to  build 
up  the  strength  of  that  party  in  Western  North 
Carolina. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  born  September  14,  1858,  at 
Leaksville  in  Rockingham  County,  North  Carolina. 
While  the  exact  facts  concerning  the  earlier  gen- 
erations are  not  ascertainable,  it  is  believed  that^ 
his  great-grandfather,  George  Reynolds,  was  a' 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  state  he 
became  a  pioneer  in  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia. 
Mr.  Reynolds'  grandfather,  Pryor  Reynolds,  was 
probably  born  in  Pittsylvania  County,  but  after 
reaching  manhood  he  moved  across  the  state  line 


50 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


into  North  Carolina  and  bought  the  land  in  the 
locality  known  as  The  Meadows  in  Rockingham 
County,  near  the  present  site  of  Draper.  There 
he  was  a  substantial  farmer  for  many  years.  He 
married  Prudence  Morehead,  sister  of  Governor 
Morehead. 

Thomas  Reynolds,  father  of  John  F.,  was  born 
at  The  Meadows  in  Rockingham  County,  North 
Carolina  or  Eastern  Tennessee,  April  19,  1819. 
He  was  well  educated,  subsequently  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  at  first  with  a  physician  at 
Greensboro  and  then  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege at  Philadeljihia,  where  he  was  graduated  with 
his  degree.  He  began  practice  at  Madison,  North 
Carolina,  but  in  1850  removed  to  Leaksville,  where 
he  commanded  a  large  clientage  until  his  death. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Sarah  J.  Fewel, 
her  death  occurring  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-nine. 
She  was  a  native  of  Madison,  Rockingham  County, 
and  daughter  of  William  and  Mrs.  (Wall)  Fewel. 
The  children  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Reynolds  were: 
Charles  A.,  former  lieutenant  governor  of  North 
Carolina;  Lelia,  who  died  when  quite  young; 
Elizabeth  D.,  Thomas  E.  and  John  F. 

John  F.  Reynolds  after  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  and  Mount  Airy  Academy 
entered  the  noted  law  school  conducted  by  Judges 
Dick  and  Dillard  at  Greensboro,  and  completed  his 
law  course  in  1883.  Though  well  qualified  for  the 
law  Mr.  Reynolds  has  never  practiced.  Removing 
to  Winston,  he  became  a  tobacco  manufacturer  in 
company  with  his  brothers,  and  was  in  that  busi- 
ness until  the  jianic  of  1894.  In  1897  he  was 
appointed  dejiuty  internal  revenue  collector  at  the 
branch  office  in  Winston,  and  filled  the  office  con- 
tinuously for  sixteen  years  and  four  months.  Dur- 
ing that  time  forty-three  milion  dollars  worth  of 
revenue  stamps  were  sold  through  his  office  and 
vrithout  the  loss  of  a  single  cent  to  the  Govern- 
ment. Mr.  Reynolds  is  a  thoroughly  competent  and 
efficient  business  man,  and  has  proved  capable  and 
just  in  every  relationship  of  life. 

He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  in  1880  for 
James  A.  Garlield.  He  has  always  been  a  con- 
sistent supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  repub- 
lican party  and  on  its  ticket  was  elected  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  State  Legislature  in  1898  and  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  1901. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  married  May  7,  1890,  to 
Maude  Wall.  Mrs.  Reynolds  is  of  a  prominent 
North  Carolina  family,  though  she  was  born  in 
Henry  County,  Missouri.  Her  grandfather.  Mason 
Wall,  owned  and  occupied  a  plantation  in  Rock- 
ingham County,  North  Carolina,  but  in  1844  he 
sold  his  land  and  moved  to  Missouri.  For  the 
purpose  of  finding  homes  in  what  was  then  the  far 
West,  a  colony  of  Rockingham  County  people  was 
made  up,  consisting  of  members  of  the  Wall, 
Fewel,  Garrett  and  Allen  families.  They  went 
West  with  teams  and  wagons.  They  took  along 
their  slaves  and  drove  a  large  number  of  livestock. 
It  was  a  journey  of  much  hardship  but  on  the 
whole  was  also  one  of  many  pleasant  incidents. 
They  had  ample  provisions  in  their  wagons,  and 
they  camped  out  by  the  roadside.  At  that  date 
Missouri  did  not  have  a  single  mile  of  railroad,  and 
much  of  the  land  was  still  owned  by  the  Govern- 
ment and  could  be  bought  at  $1.25  per  acre.  The 
woods  and  prairies  were  filled  with  wild  game, 
consisting  of  buffalo,  deer,  wolves  and  panthers. 
In  Henry  County,  where  the  colony  located,  Mason 
Wall  secured  a  large  tract  of  Government  land,  the 


greater  part  of  which  was  prairie  and  situated  in 
the  north  part  of  the  county.  For  a  time  the 
nearest  convenient  market  was  at  Boonville,  & 
100  miles  distant.  The  various  families  lived  th« 
simple  frontier  life,  cooking  their  meals  by  th« 
open  fire,  while  the  slaves  did  th«  carding,  spinning 
and  weaving,  and  homespun  cloth  provided  all  the 
clothing.  The  first  home  of  the  Wall  family  was 
a  log  house.  Mason  Wall  was  a  very  thrifty  and 
successful  business  man  and  farmer,  and  in  time 
he  assisted  each  of  his  children  in  securing  homes 
of  their  own.  He  lived  in  Henry  County  until 
his  death.     His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Walker. 

Mrs.  Reynolds '  father  was  Dr.  James  Walker 
Wall,  who  was  born  on  a  plantation  in  Rocking- 
ham County  November  20,  1816.  On  completing 
his  literary  education  he  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine  going  to  Philadelphia  and  graduating 
from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College.  In  1844, 
then  a  young  physician,  he  joined  the  colony 
bound  for  Henry  County,  Missouri,  and  arriving  in 
that  section  he  bought  land  in  the  northern  part  o< 
the  county  near  his  father  's  home.  His  residence 
was  about  three  miles  from  Leeton,  across  the  line 
in  Johnson  County.  His  services  as  a  physician 
were  in  great  demand  in  that  pioneer  community, 
and  he  built  up  a  large  and  extensive  practice  and 
continued  it  until  his  death  on  May  10,  1875. 
Wliile  he  was  in  active  practice  several  young  men 
studied  medicine  under  him  and  also  made  their 
mark  in  the  profession.  Doctor  Wall  married 
Mary  Frances  Fewel,  who  was  born  in  Madison, 
Rockingham  County,  North  Carolina,  March  28, 
1829.  Her  father,  William  Fewel,  was  probably  a 
native  of  Greensboro,  but  in  1844  was  living  in 
Rockingham  County,  at  which  time  he  joined  the 
Missouri  Colony  and  in  Henry  County  improved  a 
farm  with  the  aid  of  his  slaves.  William  Fewel 
married  a  Miss  Wall,  and  both  lived  to  a  good 
old  age.  Mrs.  Reynolds  was  one  of  six  children: 
James  W.,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Corinna  Alice,  Sarah 
Lelia,  Maude  Ella  and  Robert  Lee. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds  have  one  daughter, 
Maude  Edwin.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Salem 
Academy  and  College  and  for  two  years  was  a  stu- 
dent in  St.  Mary's  College  at  Raleigh.  She  is  a 
very  gifted  woman,  especially  in  music,  and  has  a 
large  private  class  in  piano,  violin  and  vocal. 

.\LESANDER    BOTD   ANDREWS   is    a   SOn   of   Col.    A. 

B.  Andrews  (1841-1915)  one  of  North  Carolina's 
prominent  men,  whose  biography  is  found  on  other 
pages. 

Born  at  Henderson,  North  Carolina,  February 
2,  1873,  Alexander  Boyd  Andrews  attended"  the 
Raleigh  Male  Academy  and  the  University  of 
North  Carolina,  where  he  took  the  full  four  years 
course  and  was  graduated  in  1893.  He  continued 
his  studies  in  the  university  in  the  Law  Depart- 
ment during  1893-94,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  September  of  the  latter  year.  Since  then 
for  over  twenty  years  he  has  been  in  general 
practice  at  Raleigh.  He  is  a  member  of  the  North 
Carolina  and  American  Bar  associations.  From 
1900  to  1904  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Aldermen  of  the  City  of  Raleigh. 

Mr.  Andrews  is  prominent  in  North  Carolina 
Masonry.  During  1916  he  served  as  grand  master 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state,  and  in  1906  was 
srand  coniniaiuler  of  the  Knights  Templar  of 
North  Carolina.  He  is  also  a  Thirty-second  degree 
Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Shrine. 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


51 


On  November  5,  1908,  he  married  Miss  Helen  May 
Sharpies  of  Media,  Pennsylvania.  Her  father  was 
the  late  Walter  M.  Sharpies. 

Tudor  Frith  Winslow.  An  honored  old  Caro- 
linia  name  comes  forward  in  respectfully  calling 
attention  to  one  of  Perquimans  County 's  best 
known  men,  Tudor  Frith  Wiuslow,  a  name  that 
for  generations  has  represented  sterling  character 
and  good  citizenship. 

Tudor  Frith  Win.slow  was  born  in  Perquimans 
County,  North  Carolina,  November  28,  1857.  His 
parents  were  Francis  Edward  and  Mary  Talcm 
(Jordan)  Winslow.  His  father  was  a  man  with 
numerous  business  interests,  mainly  agricultural, 
and  after  comjileting-  his  education  in  Randolph- 
Macon  College,  Tudor  Frith  Winslow  assisted  in 
conducting  oiierations  on  the  large  farms  and 
managing  the  stores  that  had  to  be  established 
to  meet  the  necessities  of  the  hundreds  of  em- 
ployes. He  thus  had  considerable  business  exper- 
ience prior  to  his  father 's  death,  after  which 
he  and  his  brother,  E.  D.  took  over  the  entirt; 
management. 

Mr.  Winslow  had  been  conducting  his  own  farms 
for  but  two  years  when  he  was  first  elected  sheriff 
of  Perquimans  County,  in  which  he  served  with 
the  utmost  satisfaction  for  two  years  and  then 
resumed  his  personal  management  of  his  farm  and 
stock  interests.  He  operates  220  acres  which 
adjoin  the  City  of  Hertford,  and  an  additional 
250  acres,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Winslow  & 
White.  Mr.  Winslow  has  numerous  other  interests, 
his  active  participation  in  the  developing  of  local 
enterprises  being  a  proof  of  his  public  spirit,  as 
well  as  his  business  judgment  and  keen  fore- 
sight. Mr.  Winslow  is  vice  president  of  the  Hert- 
ford Banking  Company;  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Cotton  Oil  Company;  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Fisheries  Commission  Board  of  the  state,  an 
important  body  that  looks  after  the  interests  of 
one  of  the  most  invaluable  industries  of  North 
Carolina. 

Mr.  Winslow  was  married  December  27,  1882, 
to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Wood,  of  Hertford,  and 
they  have  the  following  children:  Mary  Wood, 
Katherine  Leight,  Francis  Edward  and  Elizabeth 
Blount. 

Mr.  Winslow  lias  always  been  a  sound  and  loyal 
democrat  and  on  numerous  occasions  his  party 
has  called  upon  him  to  accept  offices  of  responsi- 
bility. After  serving-  several  terms  as  mayor  of 
Hertford,  in  1900  he  was  a  second  time  elected 
sheriff  of  the  county  and  served  four  years  more 
in  that  office,  retiring  with  an  unblemished  public 
record.  At  present  he  is  giving  his  services  to 
his  country  as  chairman  of  the  local  board  of  ex- 
emption in  reference  to  the  army  draft  for  the 
World  war.  Mr.  Winslow  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  has 
served  for  years  in  the  office  of  junior  warden. 
In  all  things  he  commands  the  trust  and  respect 
of  his  fellow  citizens. 

SiHON  A.  Ogbdrn  has  been  a  resident  of  Win- 
ston-Salem more  than  half  a  century.  His  presence 
there  has  been  one  of  varied  usefulness  to  the 
community.  He  has  been  a  successful  merchant, 
and  has  extended  his  influence  to  the  betterment 
and  improvement  of  the  city.  The  Ogburn  family 
is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Western  North  Carolina. 
It  was  established  here  more  than  a  century  ago, 
and  the  name  is  intimately  associated  with  various 
pioneer  undertakings. 


The  pioneer  Ogburn  to  locate  in  tliis  part  of 
Use  state  was  Edmund  Ogburn,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  grew  up  and  married.  About 
1810  he  brought  his  family  to  North  Carolina, 
coming  over  the  hills  and  trails  from  Virginia 
with  wagon  and  team.  He  located  about  seven 
miles  from  Salem,  in  what  was  then  Stokes  County. 
His  beginning  was  made  with  the  purchase  of  a 
tract  of  timbered  land.  That  land  and  all  the  sur- 
rounding country  was  tliea  a  rugged  wilderness. 
Game  of  all  kinds  roamed  through  the  woods  and 
over  the  hills,  and  it  was  possible  to  gain  a  living 
by  hunting  the  deer  and  bear  that  were  so  plenti- 
ful, not  to  mention  many  other  species  of  the 
wild  game.  Edmund  Ogburn  had  the  mental  and 
physical  equipment  for  enduring  the  vicissitudes 
of  pioneer  existence.  He  was  skillful  with  the 
ax,  was  an  unerring  marksman,  and  after  he  had 
cleared  a  portion  of  his  land  anil  put  it  into  cul- 
tivated crops  he  was  able  to  sustain  his  family 
with  all  the  necessary  comforts.  He  and  his  wife 
lived  on  the  old  homestead  until  they  passed  away 
at  a  good  old  age.  Their  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  on  the  home  farm. 

Sihon  A.  Ogburn  is  a  native  of  the  same  county 
to  which  his  grandparents  came  more  than  a  cen- 
tury ago.  He  was  born  in  the  log  house  that  stood 
five  miles  north  of  Salem,  in  what  was  then  Stokes 
but  is  now  Forsyth  County.  His  liirth  occurred 
there  March  17,  1840.  His  father,  James  E.  Og- 
burn, was  born  in  Brunswick,  A^irginia,  in  1809, 
and  was  only  a  few  months  old  when  the  family 
came  to  North  Carolina.  Naturally  enough  he  had 
very  meager  advantages  in  the  way  of  schools. 
He  grew  up  in  close  touch  with  nature  in  its  vir- 
gin state,  learned  all  the  arts  and  crafts  of  the 
frontier,  and  became  sturdy  and  cajjable,  and  by 
experience  rather  than  from  books  acquired  the 
culture  of  the  true  gentleman.  At  the  time  of 
his  marriage  he  bought  some  land  near  his  father's 
place  and  erected  the  log  house  in  which  his  son 
S.  A.  Ogburn  first  saw  the  light  of  day.  This 
couple  began  housekeeping  with  no  floor  but  the 
bare  earth,  while  overhead  the  roof  was  covered 
with  rough  boards  and  the  chimney  was  built  of 
hewn  timbers  and  rived  boards  lined  from  the  in- 
side with  a  thick  coating  of  clay.  The  mother  of 
Mr.  Ogburn  had  grown  up  proficient  and  wise 
in  all  the  housewifely  arts  of  her  time.  She  knew 
how  to  spin  and  weave,  and  for  years  she  dressed 
her  children  in  homespun  garments  cut  and  fash- 
ioned with  her  own  hands.  Nearly  all  the  cook- 
ing was  done  by  the  open  fire. 

The  fact  that  Winston-Salem  is  now  one  of 
the  greatest  tobacco  centers  in  the  South  gives 
special  interest  to  the  pioneer  enterprise  of  James 
E.  Ogburn  as  a  tobacconist.  In  the  early  days  he 
raised  a  crop  of  tobacco,  though  only  on  a  small 
scale.  Forsyth  County  was  then  isolated  from 
railroads  and  only  a  few  rough  highways  led 
down  into  the  more  populous  districts  of  the  state. 
Thus  there  was  little  market  for  the  leaf,  and 
there  was  not  a  factory  in  the  county.  With  the 
assistance  of  his  sons,  James  E.  Ogburn  stemmed 
the  tobacco  and  twisted  it  up  into  some  of  the 
pigtail  twists  which  were  such  a  familiar  form  of 
tobacco  manufacture  to  an  older  generation.  After 
thus  putting  his  crop  into  a  merchantable  form  he 
carried  it  to  Salem,  where  his  limited  crop  found 
a  ready  sale  for  home  consumption.  Thus  was 
established  the  first  tobacco  factory  in  Forsyth 
County.  At  the  beginning  the  family  stemmed  the 
tobacco  in  the  house,  but  with  the  growth  of  the 


52 


HLSTOKY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


enterprise  a  special  building  was  erected  for  that 
purpose.  James  Ogburn  also  installed  a  tobacco 
press,  operated  with  wooden  screws.  In  a  few 
years  the  Ogburns  were  manufacturing  the  entire 
crop  of  tobacco  leaf  raised  in  Forsyth  County. 
At  that  time  the  business  was  not  one  of  surpass- 
ing proportions,  since  the  county  produced  a  very 
small  crop  in  the  aggregate.  Manufacturing  op- 
erations were  usually  begun  in  the  month  of  .Tune 
and  were  continued  until  fall.  The  product  was 
then  taken  in  wagons  to  the  southern  counties  and 
sold  to  the  dealers  and  individuals.  James  Og- 
burn and  wife  lived  on  the  old  farm  until  late  in 
life,  when  they  moved  to  Winston  and  had  their 
home  with  their  son  Sihon  A.  at  the  time  of  their 
death.  They  reared  eight  children:  Eddie,  Rufus, 
Marcellus,  Sihon  A.,  Charles  J.,  John  W.,  Martha 
E.  and  Edward  W.  Martha  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Masten  and  lives  four  miles  east  of  Win- 
ston-Salem. 

The  old  farm  in  the  country  north  of  Winston- 
Salem  afforded  the  environment  where  Sihon  A. 
Ogburn  spent  his  childhood  years.  He  wisely  im- 
proved all  his  opportunities  to  secure  an  education. 
To  the  limit  of  his  strength  and  ability  he  assisted 
in  the  varied  work  of  the  farm  and  the  tobacco 
factory.  It  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  recall  the 
earliest  commercial  transaction  in  which  Mr.  Og- 
burn was  a  party.  This  occurred  when  he  was 
about  eight  years  of  age.  In  the  process  of  strip- 
ping the  tobacco  leaf  usually  some  small  fragments 
were  left  on  the  stem.  Young  Ogburn  busied  him- 
self for  several  days  with  picking  off  these  small 
pieces,  and  as  a  reward  of  his  industry  he  found 
himself  possessed  of  a  small  sack  full  of  tobacco 
leaf.  This  sack  he  carried  to  Mr.  Winkler,  who 
kept  the  confectionei-y  and  cigar  store.  To  the 
merchant 's  question  as  to  how  much  the  boy 
wanted  for  his  tobacco,  the  answer  was  given,  "I 
will  take  it  all  in  ginger  cakes. ' '  The  bargain 
was  closed  immediately  on  those  terms  and  the 
purchaser  was  well  satisfied  and  so  was  the  seller. 
How  many  ginger  cakes  he  received  is  not  recorded, 
and  nothing  is  known  as  to  the  discomfort  he  suf- 
fered consequent  upon  the  sale  and  the  consump- 
tion of  the  cakes. 

The  years  came  and  went,  and  about  the  time 
he  reached  his  majority  the  North  and  South  were 
involved  in  the  life  and  death  struggle  of  civil  war. 
In  1862  Mr.  Ogburn  volunteered  his  services  and 
enlisted  in  Company  D  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Regi- 
ment, North  Carolina  troops.  He  was  soon  at  the 
front,  and  on  December  1.3,  1862,  he  was  a  par- 
ticipant in  the  great  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  In 
the  course  of  that  engagement  he  was  three  times 
severely  wounded,  and  he  carries  the  deep  sears 
of  his  wounds  even  to  the  present  time.  He  was 
then  sent  to  a  hospital,  where  he  remained  four 
months,  and  was  then  given  a  furlough  home,  where 
he  spent  nine  months  convalescing.  Having  re- 
covered somewhat,  he  reported  for  duty  and  was 
assigned  to  work  as  assistant  in  the  quartermas- 
ter's department.  Later  he  was  appointed  quar- 
termaster of  the  regiment,  and  gave  service  in 
that  way  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  surren- 
dered with  his  command  at  Appomattox,  and  on 
receiving  his  parole  started  home  on  foot,  being 
three  weeks  in  making  the  journey. 

In  the  fall  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Ogburn 
married,  and  he  and  his  wife  located  at  Winston. 
At  that  time  the  greater  part  of  the  present  site 
of  Winston   was  a  wilderness.     He  and   his  wife 


occupied  a  house  on  the  site  now  covered  by  the 
Kress  store  in  the  block  across  the  street  east 
of  the  courthouse  building.  Their  house  was  then 
the  only  building  in  that  entire  block,  and  it  was 
owned  by  Mrs.  Ogburn 's  father.  At  Winston  the 
young  soldier  engaged  in  merchandising  with  his 
father-in-law,  but  after  four  years  he  left  the 
town  and  bought  a  farm  five  miles  north  of  the 
city.  He  was  busied  with  the  operation  of  his 
farm  for  two  years,  and  then  returning  to  Win- 
ston he  bought  the  block  of  land  upon  which  the 
O  'Hanlon  ofSce  building  now  stands.  At  the  time 
of  his  purchase  the  block  had  only  one  building 
upon  it.  Here  Mr.  Ogburn  engaged  in  the  grocery 
trade,  continuing  it  for  several  years,  and  then 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  C.  J.  Og- 
burn and  W.  P.  Hill  for  the  manufacture  of 
tobacco.  After  two  years  Mr.  Ogburn  sold  his 
interest  in  the  tobacco,  factory  and  then  set  up  in 
business  for  himself,  continuing  for  eighteen  years. 
Since  retiring  from  active  commercial  pursuits  he 
has  given  his  time  to  the  management  of  his  pri- 
vate affairs. 

On  October  17,  186.5,  Mr.  Ogburn  married  Mary 
Jane  Tise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ogburn  had  the  very 
happy  experience  of  celebrating  on  October  17, 
1915,  the  golden  wedding  anniversary  of  their 
marriage.  It  was  an  occasion  of  much  interest  to 
the  entire  community,  and  was  made  happy  and 
joyous  by  the  presence  of  their  children,  grand- 
children and  a  great  host  of  friends  who  at  that 
time  took  the  opportunity  to  render  special  honor 
to  this  old  couple  who  have  lived  in  the  city  for 
more  than  half  a  century. 

Mrs.  Ogburn  was  born  at  Winston  September 
26,  1847.  Her  father  was  Jacob  Tise,  who  was 
born  December  13,  1817.  The  Tise  grandparents 
spent  their  last  years  in  Winston.  Jacob  Tise  was 
an  early  comer  to  Salem,  where  he  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship at  the  carriage  making  and  black- 
smithing  trade.  His  apprenticeship  over,  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  at  Winston.  His 
shop  occupied  the  flatiron  lot  at  the  junction  of 
Liberty  and  Main  streets,  his  home  being  just 
across  the  street  from  his  shop.  He  was  a  very 
successful  business  man,  and  in  time  acquired  a 
large  amount  of  town  property.  Many  years  ago 
he  erected  a  dwelling  house  on  the  site  now  occu- 
pied by  the  great  Reynolds  tobacco  factory.  After 
his  sons  had  grown  to  years  of  usefulness  he 
engaged  in  merchandising,  and  continued  a  resi- 
dent of  Winston  until  his  death  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  Under  his  eyes  Winston  had 
expanded  from  a  mere  settlement  in  the  wilder- 
ness to  a  thriving  city,  and  he  himself  had  been  a 
not  unimportant  factor  in  that  building  and  prog- 
ress. Jacob  Tise  married  Margaret  Kiser.  She 
was  born  November  19,  1825,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Betty  (Ripple)  Kiser,  and  a  granddaughter 
of  Tandy  Kiser.  Tandy  Kiser  in  the  early  part 
of  the  last  century  operated  a  very  large  planta- 
tion near  Rural  Hill  in  the  northern  part  of  For- 
syth County,  and  kept  a  retinue  of  about  a  hun- 
dred slaves  in  the  fields  and  about  the  house. 
Henry  Kiser,  the  father  of  Margaret  Kiser,  was 
also  a  large  planter,  his  farm  being  about  five 
miles  from  Germanton  in  Stokes  County.  Betty 
Ripple,  who  married  Henry  Kiser,  was  born  in 
Davidson  County,  North  Carolina,  and  both  she 
and  her  husband  lived  to  be  upwards  of  ninety 
years  of  age.  Mrs.  Margaret  Tise  died  in  1915, 
when  eighty-nine  years  of  age.     She  and  her  hus- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAR0LI^\1 


"53 


band  reared  four  children:  Mary  J.;  Martha  Ann, 
who  married  John  Henry  Masten;  Charles  H.,  de- 
ceased; and  Jacob  Cicero. 

Mr.  and  Mra.  S.  A.  Ogburn  are  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  named  Robert  Lee,  Minnie  V.,  Bufua 
H.,  Cicero,  Ella,  Mary,  John  F.,  Carrie,  Paul  and 
Daisy.  Robert  Lee  has  six  children,  two  by  his 
lirst  wife,  Emma  Mickey,  Clyde  and  Lillian,  and 
by  his  second  marriage,  to  Ida  Fulcher,  his  four 
children  are  Thomas,  Gene,  Lena  and  Nina.  The 
daughter  Minnie  married  Francis  B.  Efird,  and 
their  five  children  are  Oscar,  Ida,  Francis,  Mary 
and  Bahson.  Rufus  H.,  by  his  marriage  to  Dena 
Newton,  has  three  children,  named  Henry,  Celestie 
and  Ada  Gray.  Cicero  married  Emma  Kapp,  and 
their  four  children  are  Cicero,  Cleo,  Kapp  and 
Thomas  Linn.  Ella  became  the  -nife  of  John  Mc- 
Creary  and  has  a  daughter  named  Margaret.  Mary 
married  J.  M.  Peden,  and  their  one  daughter  is 
Mary  Frances.  John  F.  married  Sally  Griffith  and 
has  a  son,  John  Francis.  Carrie  is  unmarried. 
Paul  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Daisy  is 
the  wife  of  S.  C.  Clark  and  lives  at  High  Point. 
She  married  on  her  parents'  fifty-second  anni- 
versary and  was  twenty-five  years  old  when  she 
married. 

Mr.  Ogburn  had  three  brothers,  all  of  whom 
went  through  the  Civil  war  and  all  are  living  at 
this  writing. 

Raymond  Gay  Pakker.  A  successful  member  of 
the  Winston-Salem  bar,  Mr.  Parker  is  a  native  of 
North  Carolina  and  is  a  graduate  in  law  from  the 
University  of  North  Carolina. 

His  early  environment  was  a  farm  in  Wiecacanee 
Township  in  Northampton  County,  North  Carolina. 
His  father  was  Israel  Putnam  Parker,  who  was 
born  in  the  same  townjhip.  The  grandfather, 
Jesse  Parker,  was  a  farmer  and  spent  his  last 
years  in  that  section  of  North  Carolina.  Jesse 
Parker  married  Miss  Joyner,  who  lived  to  be 
eighty-three  years  of  age.  Israel  Putnam  Parker 
grew  up  on  a  farm  and  subsequently  bought  a 
place  near  the  old  homestead  and  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  general  farming  there  until  his 
death  at  the  age  fifty-three.  He  married  Miss 
Sue  Gay.  She  was  born  in  Jackson  Township  of 
Northhampton  County,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and 
Adelia  (Staneell)  Gay.  Jeremiah  Gay  was  a  Con- 
federate soldier.  Mrs.  Sue  Parker  is  now  living 
in  the  Village  of  Jackson,  and  was  the  mother  of 
three  sons,  named  Walter,  Raymond  G.  and  Carl  P. 

Raymond  G.  Parker  attended  the  rural  schools 
first  and  afterwards  the  Warrenton  High  School. 
For  two  years  he  was  in  the  academic  department 
of  Wake  Forest  CoUege,  and  from  there  entered 
the  law  department  of  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1910.  Mr. 
Parker  has  had  a  thorough  experience  as  a  lawyer 
and  was  in  active  practice  at  Jackson  near  his  old 
home  until  1915.  He  then  moved  to  Winston- 
Salem,  and  since  January,  1916,  has  been  asso- 
ciated in  the  handling  of  a  large  legal  clientage 
with  John  Cameron  Buxton. 

Mr.  Parker  was  married  in  1911  to  Miss  Julia 
RaOey.  Mrs.  Parker,  who  died  ten  months  after 
her  marriage,  was  born  in  Northampton  County, 
daughter  of  R.  E.  and  Alma  Railey. 

Mr.  Parker  is  an  active  member  of  the  Brown 
Memorial  Baptist  Church,  belongs  to  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  at  Winston-Salem,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Twin  City  Club.  He  has  always 
been  fond  of  athletic  sports  and   while  in  college 


played  center  on  the  football  team  of  1907.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  afliliated  with  Winston  Lodge  No. 
167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Winston 
Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Piedmont 
Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Oasis 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Charlotte. 

Charles  Alexander  Hartman.  Occupying  a 
finely  improved  and  well  managed  farm  in  Far- 
mington,  Charles  A.  Hartman  is  actively  identified 
with  the  promotion  of  the  agricultural  prosperity 
of  I)a\-ie  County,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  as 
a  man  and  a   citizen.     He  was   born,   September 

17,  1854,  about  one  mile  south  of  Farmington,  his 
present  home,  being  a  son  of  George  A.  Hartman, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  locality. 

Mr.  Hartman 's  grandfather,  Charles  Hartman, 
it  is  supposed,  was  born  in  Germany,  and  was  the 
only  member  of  his  father's  family  to  cross  the 
ocean.  Coming  to  North  Carolina,  he  located  in 
Davie  County,  and  having  bought  a  tract  of  land 
lying  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  Farm- 
ington he  lived  there  a  number  of  years.  In  1853 
he  migrated  to  Illinois,  and  having  purchased  vil- 
lage property  resided  there  until  his  death.  He 
married,  and  reared  a  family  of  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, the  names  of  his  sons  having  been  George 
A.,  Elam,  Moses,  and  James.  George  A.  and 
two  of  the  daughters  remained  in  North  Carolina, 
while  the  remainder  of  the  family  accompanied 
him  to  Illinois. 

When  ready  to  settle  in  life,  George  A.  Hartman 
bought  laud  situated  a  mile  south  of  Farmington, 
Davie  County,  and  began  life  as  a  farmer.  Dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted  in 
the  Confederate  Army  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  conflict.  Returning  to  his  home  after  be- 
ing paroled,  he  resumed  his  agricultural  labors, 
remaining  on  the  home  farm  during  the  rest  of 
his  life. 

Tlie  maiden  name  of  the  first  wife  of  George 
A.  Hartman  was  Elizabeth  Etchison.  She  was 
born  1^4  miles  southeast  of  Farajington,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Shadrach  Etchison.  She  died  in  1856,  leav- 
ing but  one  child,  Charles  Alexander,  of  this 
sketch.  The  second  wife  of  George  A.  Hartman, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Sally  Williams,  was  born 
about  two  miles  southeast  of  Farmington,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  and  Julia  (Howard)  Williams.  She 
liore  him  two  children,  Bettie  and  Hattie. 

Spending  his  early  life  on  tlie  home  farm, 
Charles  A.  Hartman  obtained  his  education  in  the 
district  schools,  and  while  assisting  his  father  be- 
came well  versed  in  agricultural  lore.  About  1879, 
he  located  in  Farmington,  where  he  resided  for 
nine  years,  having  been  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  tobacco  until  1883,  and  the  following  five 
years  in  the  wholesale  liquor  business.  Removing 
then  to  Shore,  Yadkin  County,  he  continued  there 
two  years,  and  for  three  years  thereafter  was  a 
resident  of  Fremont,  Wayne  County.  Going  from 
there  to  Onslow  County,  Mr.  Hartman  resided  in 
Jacksonville  for  two  years,  and  then  returned  to 
Farmington,  locating  on  the  farm  he  now  occupies, 
and  the  management  of  which,  in  addition  to  at- 
tending to  his  private  affairs,  he  superintends. 

Mr.  Hartman  was  united  in  marriage,  December 

18,  1879,  with  Maggie  Maria  Brock.  She  was 
born  near  Farmington,  December  17,  1859,  a 
daughter  of  James  Nathaniel  Brock,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Enoch  Brock.  Her  great-grandfather, 
Nathaniel  Brock,  was  born  in  Virginia,  coming,  it 
is  said,  from  German  ancestry.     A  local  preacher 


54 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  he  came  to 
North  Carolina  during  the  later  years  of  his  life, 
locating  in  what  is  now  Farmington  Township, 
Davie  County,  but  was  then  Rowan  County,  and 
on  the  farm  that  he  purchased  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life. 

Enoch  Brock  was  born  and  bred  in  Princess 
Anne  County,  Virginia.  Becoming  a  pioneer  set- 
tler of  Davie  County,  he  was  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Farmington  for  a  number  of 
years.  Disposing  then  of  his  farm,  he  moved  to 
Weakley  County,  Tennessee,  and  tliere  resided  un- 
til his  death.  He  married  Miss  Huddleston,  and 
they  reared  four  sons,  among  them  having  been 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Hartman.  He,  James  Na- 
thaniel Brock,  was  born,  in  1810,  near  Norfolk, 
Virginia,  and  was  a  child  when  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  North  Carolina.  A  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, he  was  for  a  few  years  located  on  land 
that  his  wife  had  inherited  from  her  father,  but 
later  assumed  possession  of  land  that  he  had  pur- 
chased near  Farmington,  and  there  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  until  his  death,  when  seveuty-si.x 
years  old.  He  was  twice  married.  He  married 
first  Maria  Maxwell,  who  died  in  1848.  The 
maiden  name  of  Mr.  Brock 's  second  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Hartman,  was  Margaret  Cuthrell. 
She  was  born  near  Norfolk,  Virginia,  a  daughter 
of  Maximilian  Cuthrell,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  who  came  to  Davie 
County,  North  Carolina,  about  1829,  and  spent 
his  last  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Farmington. 

Five  children  have  been  born  of  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartman,  namely:  Charles  Cecil, 
who  died  in  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  age;  Guy 
L. ;  Marjorie;  George;  and  Mary  Nell.  George 
and  Guy  are  both  members  of  the  Masonic  Fra- 
ternity. Guy  L.  married  Sally  McGregor,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Elizabeth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart- 
man are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  generous  supporters  of  the  same,  con- 
tributing their  full  share  toward  its  maintenance. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Hartman  is  a  member  of  Farm- 
ington Lodge  No.  265,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Order  of  Masons. 

W1LL1.A.M  Stewart  Blanch.\rd.  One  of  Hert- 
ford's foremost  citizens,  prominent  in  political  and 
active  in  business  life  for  many  years,  is  William 
Stewart  Blanchard,  a  memlier  of  the  old  Blanch- 
ard  family  stock  of  Eastern  North  Carolina  of 
many  generations  back.  Mr.  Blanchard  was  born 
in  Perquimas  County,  North  Carolina,  at  Blanch- 
ard's  Bridge,  an  old  landmark,  October  23,  184.5. 
His  parents  were  William  Bawles  and  Cassandra 
(Deans)    Blanchard. 

The  excellent  public  schools  of  the  present  day 
were  not  in  operation  in  Perquimans  County  in  Mr. 
Blanchard 's  youth,  but  there  were  many  private 
schools  of  superior  merit,  and  after  attending  for 
some  years  he  entered  Hertford  Academy  and  there 
completed  his  academic  course.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  war  between  the  states  had  been  precipitateil 
and  was  in  progress,  and  when  Mr.  Blanchard 
had  little  more  than  passed  his  eighteenth  birth- 
day he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  A, 
Thirteenth  Battalion,  North  Carolina  Light  Artil- 
lery, Confederate  Army,  and  served  from  Decem- 
ber, 186.3,  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  returned 
home  practically  'unharmed  and  immediately 
turned  his  attention  to  the  peaceful  pursuits  of 
agriculture. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Blanchard  assisted  his  father, 


who  was  a  merchant,  by  operating  the  home  farm. 
In  1868  he  was  married  and  then  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  himself  and  continued  his  agricultural 
activities  for  thirteen  years  and  then  came  to 
Hertford.  Here,  in  association  with  his  brother, 
Thomas  Crowder  Blanchard,  he  embarked  in  a 
general  mercantile  business  on  Eighteenth  Street. 
Subsequently  his  son,  Joseph  Carroll  Blanchard, 
bouglit  an  interest  and  Mr.  Blanchard  continued 
active  in  the  business  until  1913,  when  he  retired. 
Mr.  Blanchard  is  president  of  the  Hertford  Bank- 
ing Company.  His  public  services  have  been  numer- 
ous and  important,  and  his  fellow  citizens  fre- 
quently having  shown  appreciation  of  his  business 
ability  and  his  high  personal  character  by  calling 
him  to  offices  of  great  responsibility.  He  has 
served  the  city  worthily  and  lienefieially  as  mayor, 
and  also  has  represented  his  district  in  the  State 
Legislature  with  signal  usefulness. 

Mr.  Blanchard  was  married  in  December,  1868, 
to  Miss  Artemesia  Towe,  and  they  have  the  fol- 
lowing children:  William  Martin,  Joseph  Carroll, 
.Julian,  Lawrence  E.,  Margaret  Deanes,  Annie,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Rev.  R.  H.  Willis,  a  minister  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Alice  and  Eugenia 
Winnifred.  Mr.  Blanchard  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
he  is  a  memljcr  of  the  board  of  stewards. 

Joseph  Carroll  Blanchard,  second  son  of  Wil- 
liam Stewart  Blanchard,  and  manager  and  part 
)iroi'rietor  of  the  mercantile  house  of  Blanchard 
iSr  Son,  Hertforii,  is  one  of  the  progressive  young 
business  men  of  Hertford.  He  was  born  in  this 
county,  June  8,  1880.  After  attending  Hertford 
Academy  he  entered  Trinity  College  at  Durham, 
North  Carolina,  where  he  remained  until  1901, 
when  he  returned  to  Hertford  and  entered  the 
mercantile  business  with  his  father  and  uncle. 
In  1912  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  busi- 
ness  and   became  general  manager. 

Mr.  Blanchard  was  married  October  .5,  1910,  to 
Miss  Lillian  Ferguson,  of  Waynesville,  North 
Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Judge  G.  S.  Ferguson,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Sarah  Ferguson  and  Lil- 
lian Carroll.  Mr.  Blanchard  and  wife  are  active 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which,  he  is  a  steward,  and  they  have  a  wide  social 
acquaintance  and  maintain  a  hospitable  home.  Mr. 
Blanchard  takes  a  deep  interest  in  his  city  and  is 
particularly  concerned  in  regard  to  the  public 
schools.  He  has  never  been  very  active  in  politics 
and  has  cared  little  for  public  office,  l)ut  has 
willingly  consented  to  accept  the  chairmanship  of 
the  county  board  of  education,  a  position  for  which 
he  is  admirably  qualified. 

Samuel  Franklin  Vance,  of  Winston-Salem, 
has  played  a  noteworthy  part  in  business  and  pub- 
lic life  in  Forsyth  County  for  many  years,  still 
keeps  in  touch  with  commercial  affairs  as  a  director 
in  the  Merchants  National  Bank  of  Winston-Salem 
and  is  a  stockholder  in  various  corporations,  but 
for  the  most  part  is  content  to  reside  on  his  farm 
and  look  after  his  duties  as  state  secretary  of  the 
Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics,  an 
office  he  has  held  for  a  number  of  years. 

Mr.  Vance  was  born  on  a  plantation  in  Belews 
Creek  Township  of  Forsyth  County.  His  ancestry 
is  Scotch.  His  grandfather,  John  Vance,  was  born 
in  1799  and  is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of 
Forsyth  County.  He  owned  and  occupied  a  farm 
in  Belews  Creek  Township,  and  died  there  when 
about  eighty  years  of  age.    He  married  Mary  Mar- 


<^^^U4A/^iCUUi. 


^CU4.AL >^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


55 


shall,  who  was  also  born  in  1799  and  survived  her 
husband  about  six  years.  They  reared  eight  chil- 
dren, named  Betsy,  Lucretia,  Martin,  John  Frank- 
lin, Nathaniel  D.,  Jane,  Aulena  and  Mary.  They 
are  all  now  deceased,  but  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact 
that  the  sons  all  lived  to  be  more  than  eighty  years 
of  age. 

John  Franklin  Vance,  father  of  Samuel  Frank- 
lin, was  born  in  Belews  Creek  Township  March  25, 
1825.  He  was  distinguished  as  a  natural  mechanic. 
He  had  what  amounted  to  a  genius  in  the  handling 
of  tools  and  in  the  making  of  things  usually  the 
product  of  skilled  trades.  While  he  followed  farm- 
ing as  his  principal  vocation,  he  could  and  did 
work  successfully  as  a  carpenter,  bricklayer,  shoe- 
maker and  in  other  lines.  His  life  was  spent  in 
his  native  township,  and  he  died  there  when  in  his 
ninetieth  year.  He  married  Sarah  Barham.  She 
was  born  in  the  same  section  of  Forsyth  County 
November  1,  18.31,  and  died  in  her  seventy-third 
year.  Thus  both  sides  of  the  family  are  remark- 
able for  longevity.  Her  jiarents  were  Balaam  and 
Matilda  Barham.  John  F.  Vance  and  wife  reared 
seven  children:  Samantha,  Walter  Burton,  Au- 
gusta, Samuel  Franklin,  Arcelia,  Virginia  and 
Carrie. 

Samuel  F.  Vance  spent  his  early  life  in  the 
country  districts  of  Forsyth  County.  He  attended 
school  there.  The  first  school  he  attended  was  helil 
in  a  log  cabin  with  a  complete  equipment  of  home- 
made furniture.  The  seats  were  made  of  slabs 
with  wooden  pins  for  legs,  and  there  was  not  a 
tithe  of  the  splendid  equipment  which  school  chil- 
dren of  the  present  day  enjoy.  Limited  as  was 
the  curriculum,  he  wisely  imjiroved  all  the  advan- 
tages offered  him,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  was 
qualified  as  a  teacher  himself.  His  first  term  was 
taught  in  the  Vance  schoolhouse,  and  he  taught  and 
attended  school  alternately  for  seven  years.  He 
finally  completed  a  course  in  the  Kernersville  High 
School.  His  last  three  years  as  a  teacher  were  in 
Middle  Fork  Township. 

From  teaching  Mr.  Vance  turned  to  commercial 
employment  as  a  worker  for  the  Spach  brothers, 
and  for  five  years  had  charge  of  their  lumber 
department.  He  then  accepted  a  call  to  public 
service,  when  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  the  Supe- 
rior Court,  an  olBce  he  filled  six  years.  He  was 
next  appointed  assistant  postmaster  of  Winston- 
Salem,  and  filled  that  office  for  twelve  years,  until 
he  resigned.  Mr.  Vance  then  became  vice  presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  the  Carolina  Coal  &  Ice 
Company  and  the  Crystal  lee  Company,  but  after 
a  year  gave  up  these  positions  requiring  a  great 
deal  of  executive  detail  and  removed  to  his  farm  at 
Guthrie  Station,  5i4  miles  east  of  the  courthouse. 
He  has  an  attractive  country  home,  and  takes  much 
delight  in  looking  after  his  farm. 

Mr.  Vance  is  a  member  of  Fairview  Council  No. 
19,  Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics, 
the  largest  council  of  that  order  in  the  state. 
Hei  was  elected  state  secretary  of  the  order  in 
1899,  and  has  been  continued  in  the  office  by 
repeated  elections  ever  since.  Through  that  office 
his  name  is  known  throughout  North  Carolina. 
He  is  also  affiliated  with  Damon  Lodge  No.  41, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  with  Twin  City  Camp  No. 
27,  Woodmen'  of  the  World. 

Mr.  Vance  was  married  December  19,  1901,  to 
Sally  E.  Fulton.  She  was  born  in  Belews  Creek 
Township,  daughter  of  .John  W.  and  Martha  E. 
Fulton.       Mr.    and    Mrs.    Vance    have    two    sons, 


Samuel    Franklin,    Jr.,    and    Fred    Fulton.      The 
family  are  members  of  the  Moravian  Church. 

George  W.  Coan  has  long  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  affairs  of  Winston- 
Salem  and  is  also  prominent  in  social  and  civic 
atfairs.  Until  he  retired  from  business  he  was 
officially  identified  with  the  great  R.  J.  Reynolds 
Tobacco  Company. 

Mr.  Coan 's  success  in  life  has  been  due  less  to 
influential  circumstances  than  the  determination 
and  ambition  of  his  own  character.  He  had  a  high 
aim  as  a  young  man  and  succeeded  in  realizing 
many  of  the  more  substantial  ambitions  of  his 
youth.  He  was  born  on  a  plantation  in  Henry 
County,  Virginia,  but  his  family  were  long  identi- 
fied with  South  Carolina.  William  Coan,  Sr.,  was 
a  native  of  Scotland,  and  on  coming  to  America 
settled  in  Spartansburg,  South  Carolina,  where  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  life.  His  son,  William  Coan, 
Jr.,  became  a  planter  in  South  Carolina,  had  a 
number  of  slaves,  and  was  a  man  of  substantial 
character  and  position  in  Spartansburg  County. 
He  died  at  his  old  home  there  while  the  war 
between  the  state  was  in  progress.  He  married 
Polly  Otts,  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  stock.  They 
reared  three  sons:  Andrew,  James  and  John,  and 
a  daughter  named  Ann. 

John  Coan,  father  of  George  W.,  was  born  on 
the  plantation  in  Spartansburg,  South  Carolina,  in 
1833.  He  finished  his  education  in  the  old  War- 
ford  College,  located  near  Spartansburg,  and  hav- 
ing completed  his  course  he  moved  to  Henry 
County,  Virginia,  and  became  a  teacher.  He  was 
thus  engaged  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  soon 
afterward  he  enlisted  and  went  to  the  front  with 
a  Virginia  regiment.  He  served  the  cause  of  the 
South  faithfully  and  well  until  the  close  of  the 
struggle.  On  returning  to  Henry  County  he 
engaged  in  farming,  a  vocation  he  followed  until 
his  death  in  1910.  He  never  attained  large 
wealth,  but  was  a  man  of  fine  character  and  exer- 
cised an  influence  for  good  in  his  community.  He 
married  Mary  Jones,  a  native  of  Henry  County, 
Virginia,  and  daughter  of  George  K.  and  Ann 
(King)  Jones,  both  of  whom  were  of  Colonial 
ancestry.  Mrs.  John  Coan  still  occupies  the  old 
home  farm  in  Henry  County,  Virginia.  She  reared 
six  children :  Bettie,  wife  of  Leon  Sheffield,  Lulie, 
George  W.,  Posey,  wife  of  J.  J.  Cox,  Birdie,  and 
John  O.,  Jr. 

Mr.  George  W.  Coan  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Henry  County,  Vir- 
ginia. At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  engaged  in 
business  life  as  a  bookkeeper  in  his  native  county. 
He  continued  similar  duties  until  he  was  twenty- 
four,  when  he  was  made  cashier  of  the  Farmers 
Bank  at  Martinsville,  Virginia.  He  had  three 
years  of  practical  experience  as  a  banker,  and 
resigned  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco 
at  Martinsville.  His  big  opportunity  came  when 
he  accepted  the  position  of  private  secretary  to 
Mr.  R.  J.  Reynolds  at  Winston.  He  remained  Mr. 
Reynolds'  secretary  two  years,  and  then  took  a 
more  active  part  in  the  great  Reynolds  tobacco 
industry.  He  was  elected  a  director  and  the 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company.  He  car- 
ried many  of  the  heaviest  responsibilities  of  the 
detailed  management  of  the  business  for  fifteen 
years,  until  he  resigned  April  1,  1915.  Since  then 
he  has  lived  retired,  merely  looking  after  his 
private  affairs. 


56 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


In  1890  Mr.  Coaii  married  Miss  Lula  Brown. 
She  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Virginia,  daugh- 
ter of  William  A.  and  Susan  (Finney)  Brown. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coan  have  two  children:  George 
W.,  Jr.,  and  May. 

Mr.  Coan  is  now  serving  as  president  of  the 
Twin  City  Club  of  Winston-Salem  and  is  a 
director  of  the  Forsyth  Country  Club.  He  is  a 
demitted  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He 
and  his  wife  are  active  in  the  social  life  of  the  city. 
,  Mrs.  Coan  and  her  daughter  are  members  of  tha 
Christian  Church,  while  he  remains  faithful  to  the 
church  of  his  ancestors,  the  Presbyterian  denomi- 
nation. 

William  H.  H.  Gregory.  Civilization  will  hail 
riches,  prowess,  honors,  popularity,  but  it  will 
bow  humbly  to  sincerity  in  its  fellows.  The  ex- 
ponent of  known  sincerity,  of  singleness  of  honest 
purpose,  has  its  exemplification  in  all  bodies  of 
men.  He  is  known  in  every  association  and  to 
him  defer  the  highest  honors.  Such  an  exemplar, 
whose  daily  life  and  whose  life  work  have  been 
dominated  as  their  most  conspicuous  character- 
istic by  sincerity  is  Capt.  William  H.  H.  Gregory, 
of  Statesville,  North  Carolina. 

Captain  Gregory,  a  farmer  and  a  retired  cotton 
merchant,  was  born  at  Drury 's  Bluff,  Virginia, 
between  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  the  date  of 
his  nativity  being  1844.  He  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Wil- 
liam W.  and  Elizabeth  (Taylor)  Gregory,  both 
deceased.  The  Gregory  family  is  of  Scotch  origin 
and  the  founders  of  the  name  in  America  came 
hither  with  the  Gaits  and  settled  on  the  James 
River,  in  Virginia.  The  family  is  of  historic 
ancestry,  bearing  the  blood  of  a  number  of  the 
oldest  and  most  renowned  families  of  the  Old 
Dominion  commonwealth.  Captain  Gregory 's  fa- 
ther was  a  planter  and  physician  and  a  man  of 
large  affairs.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of 
Col.  Thomas  P.  Taylor,  of  Richmond,  and  a  cousin 
of  President  Zachary  Taylor.  One  of  her  brothers 
married  a  daughter  of  President  William  Henry 
Harrison,  in  whose  honor  Captain  Gregory  was 
named.  Robert  Pegram,  of  Virginia,  who  com- 
manded the  famous  Confederate  gunboat.  The 
Nashville,  was  a  first  cousin  of  Captain  Gregory  of 
this  review,  on  the  paternal  side. 

Captain  Gregory  is  an  exceptionally  well  edu- 
cated and  highly  cultured  gentleman.  In  his  youth 
he  attended  the  Rappahannock  Military  School, 
Georgetown  College,  Emory  &  Henry  College,  and 
Richmond  College,  of  Richmond.  He  had  not 
reached  his  fifteenth  year,  when,  a  boy  at  Rich- 
mond, he  was  a  member  of  Company  F,  a  local 
military  organization  in  that  city.  In  1859,  at 
the  time  of  tlie  threatened  invasion  of  Virginia 
by  John  Brown,  Governor  Wise  immediately  called 
Company  F  into  service  to  go  to  Harper 's  Ferry 
to  resist  that  raid.  However,  John  Brown  was 
captured  by  Captain  (afterward  General)  Robert 
E.  Lee  an  hour  prior  to  the  arrival  of  Company 
F  at  that  place.  Captain  Gregory  relates  many 
interesting  incidents  of  this  historic  affair,  of 
which  he  is  one  of  the  very  few  survivors. 

In  1861  Doctor  Gregory  and  his  family  located 
in  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  and  there  they  re- 
sided at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war. 
Though  but  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time.  Cap- 
tain Gregory  volunteered  his  services,  and  as  a  re- 
sult of  his  military-school  training  and  actual  ex- 
perience, he  was  selected  for  drill  master  and  as- 
signed to  duty  in  Virginia.     Subsequently  he  re- 


turned to  Charlotte  and  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
regular  Confederate  service,  later  becoming  adju- 
tant of  the  Forty-second  North  Carolina  Regiment 
of  Infantry  and  eventually  achieving  the  rank  of 
captain.  He  was  a  courageous  and  high-spirited 
young  soldier  and  was  wounded  in  battle  at  Port 
Walthall  Junction. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Captain  Gregory 
returned  to  Charlotte  and  there  engaged  in  the 
general  mercantile  business,  later  becoming  a  cot- 
ton trader  in  that  city.  In  1886  he  removed  to 
his  present  place  of  abode,  Statesville,  county 
seat  of  Iredell  County,  and  here  engaged  in  the 
cotton  business.  Of  late  years  he  has  been  re- 
tired from  active  business  life  and  he  is  now  de- 
voting his  time  to  the  management  of  his  attrac- 
tive farm  of  about  one  hundred  acres,  adjoining 
Statesville  on  the  Northwest.  This  beautiful 
country  estate  is  located  on  the  Wilkesboro  Road 
and  as  a  result  of  natural  advantages  is  well 
drained,  therefore  producing  excellent  crops.  The 
residence  stands  on  a  high  elevation,  in  a  grove 
of  giant  oak  trees,  and  is  attractive  and  homelike 
in  every  respect.  It  boasts  many  valuable  and 
interesting  relics  and  mementos  of  the  Confederacy 
and  among  other  antiquities  is  a  sterling  ■  silver 
egg-boiler  that  belonged  originally  to  the  old 
Harrison  family  of  Virginia. 

Captain  Gregory  has  been  twice  married. 
November  14,  1866,  he  wed  Miss  Dora  Brown, 
of  Wilmington,  a  daughter  of  Frank  Brown,  of 
the  old  firm  of  Brown  &  DeRossett,  of  that  city. 
Two  children  survive  this  marriage:  Miss  Mary 
Armstead  Gregory,  at  home ;  and  Caroline,  wife  of 
R.  A.  Lackey,  of  Oklahoma.  Mrs.  Gregory  was 
summoned  to  the  life  eternal  March  26,  1878,  and 
for  his  second  wife  Captain  Gregory  married  on 
October  12,  1880,  Miss  Mittie  Lou  Ramsey,  of 
Columbus,  Mississippi,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
John  Calhoun  Ramsey,  originally  of  Fayetteville, 
North  Carolina,  and  prior  to  his  demise  a  promi- 
nent manufacturer  and  business  man  in  Missis- 
sippi. This  union  was  prolific  of  four  children, 
concerning  whom  the  following  brief  data  are 
here  incorporated :  Marie  Taylor  is  the  wife  of 
Ernest  B.  Moore,  of  Atlanta;  Rylina  Harrison 
married  H.  C.  Evans  and  they  make  their  home 
in  Raleigh,  North  Carolina;  Lieut.  Harry  Gregory 
is  an  ofScer  in  the  United  States  Army  and  served 
at  the  Mexican  border  in  the  summer  of  1916;  and 
Richard  K.  Gregory  is  a  resident  of  Baltimore, 
Md. 

Under  Gen.  Julian  E.  Carr  Captain  Gregory 
held  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  United 
States  Confederate  Veterans,  Department  of 
North  Carolina,  and  at  the  great  reunion  of  that 
organization  at  Washington,  in  June,  1917,  he 
commanded  the  first  brigade  of  North  Carolina 
veterans.  Captain  Gregory  is  a  man  of  high  im- 
pulses, strong  moral  filler,  fine  judgment  and  keen 
foresight.  He  has  helped  to  build  up  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resides  and  here  he  is  well 
known  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  everyone. 

Addie  Archie  Paul  began  business  life  at  a 
very  early  age  and  by  hard  work  and  a  rather 
unusual  degree  of  persistency,  mixed  with  exper- 
ience and  native  talent,  has  achieved  that  degree 
of  success  accorded  him  by  his  friends  and  asso- 
ciates at  Washington,  where  he  is  one  of  the 
highly  esteemed  citizens. 

Mr.  Paul  was  born  in  Craven  County,  North 
Carolina,    June   24,    1882,   a   son   of   Beverly   and 


TKK  KF:Vj'  YORK 


]4r:<J^r)€^£e. 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


57 


Martha  (Rowe)  Paul.  His  father  was  a  mecliauic 
and  farmer.  After  an  education  in  tlie  public 
schools  of  his  native  county,  Mr.  Paul  hcgan  work 
in  a  grocery  store  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Later 
he  was  with  a  dry  goods  establishment  at  Newbern, 
North  Carolina,  and  from  that  got  into  business 
for  himself  as  a  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker 
at  Wilson,  North  Carolina.  He  was  in  business 
at  Wilson  for  nine  years.  Since  then  most  of  his 
work  has  been  in  the  field  of  real  estate,  for  a 
time  he  operated  in  Sampson  and  Bladen  counties, 
but  in  1917  opened  his  main  offices  in  Washington. 
Mr.  Paul  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Harmony,  and  the 
Patriotic  Sons  of  America.  He  and  his  family 
attend  worship  in  the  Baptist  Church. 

His  first  wife  was  Mary  Barber,  who  died 
August  1,  1908,  leaving  no  children.  On  Sep- 
tember 1,  1909,  he  married  Lillie  Belle  Willis,  of 
Washington,  North  Carolina.  They  have  three 
children,   Beverly,  Callie  and  Arthur  Atwood. 

William  Poindexter  Hill  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  active  career  in  Winston-Salem, 
and  for  years  has  been  one  of  the  sustaining 
factors  in  the  commercial  affairs  of  that  city.  He 
was  a  boy  soldi(  r  of  the  Confederate  army  and 
life  has  opened  up  to  him  a  great  variety  of 
experience  and  opportunity. 

Ho  is  a  great-grandson  of  a  gallant  officer  of 
the  Revolutionary  war.  This  ancestor  was  Major 
Robert  Hill,  who  was  born  in  Caroline  County, 
Virginia,  a  son  of  William  Hill,  who  probably 
spent  all  his  life  in  Virginia.  Major  Hill  was 
in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  with  "VEtEginla/, 
troops,  and  won  his  title  by  valiant  service  iji 
behalf  of  the  cause  of  freedom.  "After  tlie  war  he 
moved  to  North  Carolina,  and  bought  land  near 
Germanton  in  Stokes  County.  With  the  aid  of 
his  slaves  he  improved  a  fine  plantation,  on  which 
he  lived  until  his  death. 

Joel  Hill,  grandfather  of  William  P.,  was  born 
in  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina,  and  after  grow- 
ing to  manhood  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  a 
portion  of  the  old  plantation.  He  also  employed 
slaves  in  it.s  operation,  and  lived  a  quiet  and 
useful  life  there  until  his  death  in  1856.  Joel 
Hill  married  Mildred  Golding.  Her  father  John 
Golding  came  to  North  Carolina  from  Virginia, 
was  an  early  settler  in  Stokes  County  and  had  a 
plantation  near  Germanton  on  which  he  spent 
his  last  years.  Mrs.  .Joel  Hill  died  in  1869.  She 
had  a  family  of  eleven  children. 

John  Gideon  Hill,  father  of  the  Winston-Salem 
business  man,  was  born  near  Germanton  October 
11,  1817.  He  was  a  product  of  rural  environment 
and  of  rural  schools  in  his  youth.  He  was  satis- 
fied to  follow  the  example  of  his  ancestors  and 
cultivated  his  fields  and  was  an  earnest  participant 
in  the  life  of  his  community.  Before  his  mar- 
riage he  served  a  term  as  Sheriff  of  Stokes  County, 
which  then  included  Forsyth  County.  When 
Forsyth  County  was  organized  he  was  elected 
sheriff  of  the  new  county.  He  married  Susan 
Frances  Poindexter.  She  was  born  near  German- 
ton  in  Stokes  County,  October  9,  1828.  Her 
father.  Colonel  William  Poindexter,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  locality.  Her  grandfather,  David 
Poindexter,  came  from  Virginia,  and  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  being  in  Washington's 
army  and  a  witness  of  the  surrender  of  Lord 
Cornwallis    at    Yorktown.      On    coming    to    North 


Carolina  he  developed  a  plantation  in  Stokes 
County,  not  far  from  Germanton,  and  that  was 
the  scene  of  his  last  years.  This  Revolutionary 
veteran  married  Frances  Johnson.  Her  mother 
was  named  Poe,  and  she  was  also  related  to  the 
Chisholm  and  Fox  families.  Colonel  William 
Poindexter  remained  a  resident  of  Stokes  County 
all  his  life  and  conducted  a  large  plantation  there. 
He  derived  his  title  from  service  in  the  state 
militia.  Colonel  Poindexter  married  Eliza  Nelson, 
a  native  of  Stokes  County,  daughter  of  a  promi- 
nent planter  Isaac  Nelson.  Mrs.  John  G.  Hill 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  She  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one,  having  reared  eight 
children,  William  Poindexter,  Ann  Eliza,  Mary 
Mildred,  Joel,  Sarah  Josephine,  David  Jasper, 
Francis  Gideon  and  Alice. 

William  Poindexter  Hill  was  born  on  a  farm 
near  Germanton  in  Stokes  County  October  8, 
1847.  Owing  to  the  turbulent  state  of  the  country 
during  his  youth  he  had  rather  limited  advantages 
in  the  way  of  schooling.  He  was  only  fourteen 
when  the  war  broke  out,  and  he  shortly  after- 
ward enlisted  in  the  Junior  Reserve,  serving  under 
Lieutenant  Neal.  The  first  work  to  which  he 
directed  his  attention  after  the  war  was  teaching 
in  Henry  County,  Virginia,  and  he  also  taught 
in  Stokes  and  Forsyth  Counties,  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Hill  has  been  a  resident  of  Winston  since 
1878.  While  he  is  now  endeavoring  to  free  him- 
self from  some  of  the  heavier  cares  of  business 
he  was  for  many  years  a  vigorous  and  active 
participant  in  the  commercial  life  of  the  city. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  vice  president 
of  Oakland  Manufacturing  Company,  now  the  B. 
P.  Huntly  Furniture  Company.  He  was  also  an 
organizer  of  the  Huntly-Hill-Stockton  Company, 
which  has  built  up  a  business  that  makes  it  one 
of  the  largest  furniture  houses  in  the  entire  state. 
Mr.  Hill  still  retains  the  vice  presidency  in  this 
company.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  also  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Ogburn,  Hill  &  Company, 
tobacco  manufacturers. 

He  married  Elizabeth  Ogburn.  Mrs.  Hill  is  a 
native  of  Winston,  daughter  of  Cliarles  B.  and 
Tabitha  (Moir)  Ogburn.  For  the  record  of  her 
family,  long  a  prominent  one  in  this  section  of 
Nortli  Carolina,  the  reader  is  referred  to  other 
pages  of  this  publication.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  have 
reared  five  children:  Charles  G.,  William  P., 
Elizabeth,  Eugene  D.,  and  Edward  Ashton. 
Cliarles  married  Mary  Ella  Cannon,  and  has  three 
children  Ella  Cannon,  Charles  G.,  and  Susan 
Frances.  Eugen»  married  Minnie  Lee  Henry. 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Agnew  Hunter  Bahnson, 
and  has  a  son  Agnew  Hunter,  Jr.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hill  have  long  been  sustaining  members  of  the 
Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Oscar  Rodolph  Keiger,  M.  D.  A  young 
physician  of  thorough  ability  and  wide  training 
and  experience,  Doctor  Keiger  has  recently  located 
at  Winston-Salem  and  is  in  the  enjoyment  of 
high  professional  standing  and  a  large  practice 
iu  that  community. 

He  represents  some  of  the  very  old  and  promi- 
nent names  in  this  section  of  North  Carolina.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Tadkin  Township  of  Stokes 
County,  a  son  of  John  Wesley  Keiger,  who  was 
born  on  the  satie  farm  December  12,  1849,  and  a 
grandson  of  John  Keiger.    The  grandfather  owned 


58 


HISTORY  OF  XORTIi  CAROLINA 


and  occupied  a  farm  in  Yadkin  Township  and 
spent  his  last  days  there.  He  married  Sally 
Winfrey. 

Doctor  Keiger  's  father  grew  up  on  a  farm  and 
succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  the  old  homestead. 
He  spent  his  active  career  as  a  farmer,  and  his 
son  had  the  farm  as  his  early  environment  and 
playground.  John  "Wesley  Keiger  married  Martha 
Louise  Schaub.  She  was  a  native  of  Yadkin 
County,  and  she  and  her  husband  reared  eight  chil- 
dren, named  Charles  Edwin,  Numa  Fletcher, 
James  Arthur,  Oscar  Rodolph,  Cyrus  Clifton, 
Georgia  Beatrice,  Annie  Gray  and  Lelia  Blanche. 

Doctor  Keiger  's  maternal  ancestry  deserves  some 
particular  mention.  His  mother's  great-grand- 
father was  John  Frederick  Schaub,  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  where  he  was  born  in  1717.  On  com- 
ing to  America  he  lived  a  while  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  in  1756  came  to  North  Carolina  and  was  a  pi- 
oneer in  what  is  now  Forsyth  County.  He  died  at 
Oldtown  in  1801.  His  family  consisted  of  four 
sons  and  one  daughter.  His  son  John  Jacob 
Schaub,  grandfather,  of  Mrs.  John  W.  Keiger,  was 
born  in  Forsyth  County  December  29,  177.5.  He 
refused  to  allow  the  Moravian  Church  to  select  a 
wife  for  him,  but  married  the  lady  of  his  own 
choice,  Miss  Maria  Salome  Nissen.  They  were 
married  by  Squire  Stuckberger.  For  this  dis- 
obedience to  the  church  mandate  they  were 
dropped  from  the  membership,  but  subsequently 
were  taken  back  into  the  fold.  John  Jacob 
Schaub  was  a  tailor  by  trade.  William  Samuel 
Schaub,  maternal  grandfather  of  Doctor  Keiger, 
was  born  near  Bethania,  in  what  is  now  Forsyth 
County,  January  17,  1S05.  Though  he  learned 
the  trade  of  tailor  he  followed  it  only  a  short 
time.  Buying  a  farm  near  Dalton,  he  was  engaged 
in  its  cultivation,  'and  at  the  same  time  operated  a 
saw  and  grist  mill.  He  was  an  honored  and  useful 
citizen  in  that  community,  where  he  died  Novem- 
ber 5,  1892.  William  S.  Schaub  married  Eliza 
Hauser,  who  was  born  October  3,  1810,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  been  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Martin  Hauser,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  what 
is  now  Forsyth  County.  William  S.  Schaub  and 
wife  were  reared  in  the  Moravian  Church,  but  in 
the  absence  of  a  convenient  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation they  joined  the  Methodist  and  were  active 
members  of  the  congregation  until  they  died.  He 
served  many  years  as  trustee,  steward  and  class 
leader.  Their  oldest  son,  Winborn  Benjamin 
Schaub,  enlisted  soon  after  the  commencement  of 
the  war  in  Company  F  of  the  Twenty-first  Regi- 
ment, North  Carolina  Troops,  -and  was  commis- 
sioned first  lieutenant.  When  the  company  's  cap- 
tain resigned  he  took  command,  and  at  the  second 
battle  of  Manassas,  on  the  28th  of  August,  1862, 
he  fell  while  gallantly  leading  his  company  in  a 
charge. 

Doctor  Keiger  secured  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  and  in  the  Booneville  High 
School.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  began 
teaching.  His  first  term  was  taught  at  Donnaha 
and  the  second  in  the  Hauser  or  Rocky  Spring  dis- 
trict. He  left  the  school  room  to  take  up  the 
study  of  medicine  in  1907  in  tlie  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  where 
he  was  graduated  in  1909.  For  further  prepara- 
tion he  entered  the  University  College  of  Medicine 
at  Richmond,  where  he  completed  the  course  and 
was  granted  his  degree  in  1911. 

Before  beginning  active  practice  Doctor  Keiger 


served  four  months  as  an  interne  in  the  Danville 
General  Hospital.  He  was  successfully  engaged 
in  a  general  practice  at  King  in  Stokes  County 
until  1916.  After  a  post  graduate  course  in  the 
Polyclinic  Hospital  at  New  York  City  he  resumed 
practice  at  Winston-Salem.  He  is  a  member  in 
high  standing  of  the  Forsyth  County  and  North 
Carolina  State  Medical  Societies,  and  also  belongs 
to  the  American   Medical   Association. 

Doctor  Keiger  was  married  December  30,  1915, 
to  Sally  Maude  Fulton.  She  was  born  at  Walnut 
Cove,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  James  Fulton 
and  gi-anddaughter  of  Jacob  Fulton.  Her  father 
was  for  several  years  a  commercial  traveler  but  is 
now  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Greens- 
boro. Doctor  Keiger  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
while  Mrs.  Keiger  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  He  is  affiliated  with  Fairview  Council  No. 
19,  Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics, 
and  Lodge  No.  5_8  of  the  Masonic  order. 

Lauren  Osborne  Gib.son,  M.  D.  A  talented 
physician  and  surgeon,  practicing  at  StatesvUle, 
the  home  of  his  youth.  Doctor  Gibson  has  given 
to  that  city  one  of  its  most  promising  institu- 
tions, the  Gibson  Sanitarium,  of  which  he  is 
owner  and  proprietor.  Doctor  Gibson  was  born 
near  Statesville  in  Iredell  County  in  1883.  His 
grandfather  was  the  late  Rufus  Gibson,  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Iredell  County.  Doctor 
Gibson  is  a  son  of  William  B.  and  Octie  (Gibbs) 
Gibson,  whose  home  is  now  in  States^'ille.  His 
father  was  born  in  Iredell  County  in  1853,  and 
has  been  a  lifelong  farmer.  His  old  home  place 
was  at  Loray,  northwest  of  Statesville,  but  for 
some  years  he  lived  below  Statesville  in  ,the 
Bethany  community,  where  Doctor  Gibson  was 
born.  Now  for  several  years  his  home  has  been 
in  Statesville.  He  has  long  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  Farmers'  L^nion  and  other 
farmers  movements.  He  is  chairman  of  the 
Executive  Committee  ■  of  the  Iredell  County 
Farmers '  Union,  is  chairman  of  the  Fertilizer 
Committee  of  the  state  organization  of  the 
Farmers '  Union,  and  is  vice  president  and  man- 
ager of  the  Farmers '  Union  Warehouse  for  Ire- 
dell County.  A  special  illustration  of  his  promi- 
nence in  this  part  of  the  state  was  his  appoint- 
ment in  August,  1917,  by  Governor  Bickett  as 
chairman  of  the  Exemption  Board  for  the  Western 
District  of  North  Carolina,  to  pass  upon  exemp- 
tions under  the  Selective  Draft  Act. 

Doctor  Gibson  received  his  early  education  in 
the  local  schools,  and  graduated  from  Davidson 
College  with  the  class  of  1910.  He  then  entered 
the  Medical  School  of  the  North  Carolina  Medical 
College  at  Charlotte,  and  received  his  M.  D. 
degree  in  1913.  The  following  year  was  spent  in 
the  Kensington  Hospital  at  Philadelphia,  and  in 
191-1  he  returned  to  Statesville  and  began  practice. 

Doctor  Gibson  established  the  Gibson  Sanitarium 
in  November,  1916.  It  is  a  hospital  well  equipped 
for  handling  medical  and  surgical  cases  of  women 
and  for  obstetrics.  The  hospital  was  opened  under 
the  most  favorable  auspices,  and  with  Doctor  Gib- 
son as  director  its  facilities  and  serrice  have 
brought  it  a  justified  place  among  the  important 
institutions  oif  Iredell  County.  Besides  looking 
after  the  hospital  management  Doctor  Gibson  still 
attends  to  his  large  private  practice  in  States- 
ville  and   surrounding  territory. 


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HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


59 


Beverly  Gillim  Moss  began  his  business  career 
at  a  very  early  age  and  tliough  still  eomijaratively 
a  young  man  has  had  the  experience  of  a  veteran 
in  a  numlier  of  important  enterprises  in  and  around 
Washington. 

Mr.  Moss  was  born  in  Chesterfield  County,  Vir- 
ginia, January  19,  1875,  but  in  1886  his  parents 
moved  to  "Washington,  North  Carolina,  where  he 
grew  up.  He  is  a  son  of  Beverly  Turpin  and 
Mary  Elizabeth  (MorgaiiJ  Moss.  His  father  was 
for  many  years  a  leading  lumber  manufacturer. 
Mr.  B.  G.  Moss  received  his  early  education  under 
private  tuition  in  Virginia,  and  after  1886  at- 
tended the  high  school  at  Washington,  North 
Carolina.  He  had  been  out  of  school  only  a  short 
time  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty  established  the  Moss 
Planing  Mill  Company  in  1895,  and  has  since 
been  owner  of  this  considerable  industry  at  Wash- 
ington, including  a  large  and  well  equipped  plant 
and  employing  twenty-five  skilled  operators.  In 
1904  Mr.  Moss  organized  the  Savings  &  Trust 
Company  at  Washington  and  has  since  been  its 
president.  This  company  has  a  capital  of  .$50,000, 
surplus  of  $20,000,  while  its  deposits  average 
$275,000. 

Many  other  business  affairs  claim  his  ability  and 
time.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Beaufort  County 
Iron  Works,  of  the  Home  Building  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation, and  is  owner  of  farm  lands  aggregating 
about  2,100  acres. 

He  became  interested  in  public  affairs  almost 
as  soon  as  in  business,  and  from  the  age  of 
twenty-two  to  thirty-one  he  served  as  an  alder- 
man of  Washington,  a  period  of  nine  years,  and 
has  ever  since  been  active  in  matters  of  civic 
betterment.  He  is  vice  president  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and 
Knight  of  Pythias,  is  deacon  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  school. 

July  14,  1909,  Mr.  Moss  married  Emma  Alline 
Carter,  daughter  of  Jesse  Carter,  a  druggist  in 
Aberdeen,  North  Carolina.  Mrs.  Moss  is  descended 
from  Sir  Thomas  Carter,  a  historic  figure  in  the 
early  days  of  Virginia.  Mr.  and  Mrs..  Moss  have 
three  children:  Beverly  Gillim,  jr.,  Jesse  Carter 
and  Frank  Graham. 

Ch.\rles  D.  Ogburn  is  one  of  a  prominent 
family  that  has  been  identified  with  Forsyth 
County  since  pioneer  times.  His  own  career  has 
been  chiefly  identified  with  tobacco  manufacture, 
though  he  also  has  extensive  interests  in  banking 
and  other  affairs  of  Winston-Salem. 

He  was  born  in  Forsyth  County,  April  25,  1861. 
His  grandfather,  Edward  Ogburn,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  came  to  the  State  of  Nortli  Carolina 
early  in  the  last  century,  buying  a  tract  of  land 
about  seven  miles  north  of  the  present  site  of 
Winston.  There  he  i-nproved  a  farm  and  kept  his 
residence  there  until  his  death.  Charles  B.  Ogburn, 
father  of  Charles  D.,  was  born  on  the  old  farm 
about  five  miles  from  Winston  in  Forsyth  County 
and  had  the  training  of  a.  country  boy  in  this 
section  of  North  Cr.rolina  in  the  first  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  He  was  in  vigorous  young 
manhood  when  the  United  States  went  to  war  with 
Mexico  in  1846,  and  he  enlisted  in  Company  G  of 
the  First  Regiment,  North  Carolina  troops.  He 
was  soon  appointed  first  sergeant,  went  to  Mexico 
with  his  command,  and  was  with  his  regiment  in 
all  its  movements  and  battles.  He  was  promoted 
to  seeond-lieutenant   and  at  the  close  of  the  war 


returned  home.  About  the  close  of  the  Mexican 
war  the  news  came  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California.  Charles  B.  Ogburn  was  one  of  those 
who  joined  the  great  rush  to  the  Eldorado,  and  in 
1849  traveled  across  the  plains  with  a  large  party 
of  men  to  California.  He  had  considerable  expe- 
rience in  the  gold  fields  tliere  but  in  a  year  or  so 
returned  home.  Then  after  an  interval  of  another 
year  or  two  he  went  back  to  California,  making 
the  .iourney  this  time  by  way  of  the  Isthmus. 
Again  there  followed  the  experience  and  excite- 
ment of  life  in  a  mining  district,  and  on  return- 
ing to  North  Carolina  he  invested  his  savings  and 
earnings  in  a  farm  in  Kernerville  Township.  He 
became  a  general  farmer  and  after  the  close  of 
the  Civil  war  he  was  associated  with  N.  D. 
Sullivan  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  near 
Walkertown.  He  continued  that  business  until 
his  death  in  1875.  Charles  B.  Ogburn  married 
Tabitha  Moir.  She  was  born  in  Eockingham 
County,  North  Carolina.  Her  father,  Robert 
Moir,  arrived  in  America  after  a  journey  of  many 
weeks  on  a  sailing  vessel  from  Scotland,  which 
was  his  native  country.  In  Eockingham  County, 
North  Carolina,  he  bought  a  tract  of  land,  and 
became  a  very  extensive  planter  and  also  a  tobacco 
manufacturer.  He  had  fifty  or  more  slaves 
employed  in  his  fields  and  around  his  factories 
and  house.  Eobert  Moir  continued  a  resident  of 
Rockingham  County  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Cliarles 
B.  Ogburn  died  in'l862,  mother  of  three  children: 
Robert  E.,  Elizabeth,  who  married  William  P.  Hill, 
»nd  Charles  D. 

Charles  D.  Ogburn  has  spent  his  life  in  and 
around  Winston-Salem,  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Winston,  and  after  leaving  high  school  had  a 
course  in  the  Baltimore  Business  College  at  Balti- 
more, Maryland.  He  then  returned  to  his  native 
precinct  aiid  took  up  the  manufacture  of  tobacco. 
In  1885  he  became  associated  in  a  partnership  with 
C  J  Ogburn  and  W.  P.  Hill  under  the  firm  name 
Ogburn,  Hill  &  Company.  This  company  did  a 
large  business  as  tobacco  manufacturers  until  191— 
Since  then  Mr.  Charles  D.  Ogburn  has  been  a 
member  of  the  firm  N.  D.  Sullivan  Co.,  whose 
factory  is  near  Walkertown. 

Besides  his  tobacco  interests  Mr.  Ogburn  is  a 
director  of  the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company 
of  Winston-Salem,  of  the  Washington  MiUs  at 
Fries  Virginia,  of  the  Crystal  Ice  Company  and 
the  Home  Real  Estate  Loan  Insurance  Company, 
and  large  land  interests  in  Eastern  North  Caro- 
lina besides  other  interests  in  North  Carolina.  He 
is  a  charter  member  of  the  Twin  City  Club  of 
Winston-Salem,  director  Forsyth  Rolling  Mills. 
Mr  Ogburn  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Calvary  Moravian  Church.  He  was  married  in 
1895  to  Carrie  Shelton.  Mrs.  Ogburn  was  born 
in  Davidson  County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of 
Doctor  and  E.  E."  (Belo)  Shelton.  She  died  in 
1897  Mr.  Ogburn  has  two  sons,  Carl  DeWitt  and 
Ralph  Belo.  Carl  is  now  in  the  Aviation  Section, 
United  States  army,  and  Ralph  is  at  University 
of  North  Carolina. 

William  C.  Perrt.  In  days  when  much  adverse 
criticism  of  public  officials  and  general  unrest  of 
all  kinds  prevails,  it  is  particularly  gratifying  to 
he  aide  to  chronicle,  together  with  his  personal 
hi.story,  the  universal  satisfaction  that  attends 
the  administration  of  William  C.  Perry,  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Iredell  County  Home.  Whatever 
has  been  possible  in  the  way  of  making  the  home 


60 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


entirely  self-supporting,  Mr.  Perry  has  doue  since 
he  came  here  in  1906,  for  he  is  not  only  a  con- 
scientious, reliable  man,  but  a  thoroughly  expe- 
rienced farmer. 

William  C.  Perry  was  born  in  Iredell  County, 
North  Carolina,  in  1870.  He  comes  of  some  of  the 
finest  old  stock  in  the  state.  His  paternal  grand- 
mother was  a  Haithcock.  His  parents  were  L.  C. 
and  Mary  A.  (Boger)  Perry,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased.  The  father  of  Mr.  Perry  was  born  in 
Cabarrus  County,  North  Carolina,  and  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Iredell  County  prior  to  the 
war  between  the  states.  The  grandfather  settled 
near  Arthur 's  Mill,  about  five  miles  east  of  Barium 
Springs,  and  followed  an  agricultural  life  there. 
L.  C.  Perry  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  place 
until  the  war  broke  out  and  then  entered  the 
Confederate  service  and  remained  in  the  army  un- 
til the  end  of  the  struggle,  returning  to  peaceful 
pursuits  without  his  good  right  arm.  He  sur- 
vived until  1900.  He  married  Mary  A.  Boger, 
who  belonged  to  an  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  family 
that  had  settled  in  Cabarrus  County  before  the 
Eevolutionary  war.     Her  mother  was  a  Steiwalt. 

William  C.  Perry  was  reared  on  the  home  farm 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  has 
always  taken  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  farm 
development  and  judging  by  the  high  state  of 
cultivation  to  which  he  has  brought  his  own  farm 
of  thirty-four  acres,  lying  a  half  mile  west  of 
the  county  home,  his  neighbors  estimate  that  he 
is  the  best  farmer  in  Iredell,  seems  a  just  one. 
His  land  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  Piedmont  region 
and  is  worth  at  least  $100  per  acre. 

Without  doubt,  Iredell  has  the  finest  county 
accommodations  for  its  indigents,  in  North  Caro- 
lina. Mr.  Perry  has  had  charge  since  1906  but 
the  plant  was  not  completed  until  1913.  The 
farm  contains  240  acres  and  extensive  farming 
operations  are  carried  on  by  Mr.  Perry,  who  takes 
pride  in  the  fact  that  this  is  one  of  the  few  county 
homes  in  the  state  that  are  self  sustaining. 
Modern  brick  buildings  of  beautiful  architecture, 
have  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  and  they 
have  been  equipiped  with  electric  -lights  and  a 
water  system  that  includes  sanitary  sewerage. 
Good  judgment,  in  which  Mr.  Perry 's  voice  was 
heard,  prevailed  in  the  erection  of  the  different 
buildings  and  their  appropriate  use.  Separate 
and  equally  comfortable  buildings  have  been  pro- 
vided for  the  white  and  the  colored  dependents, 
and  there  are  separate  buildings  for  infectious 
diseases,  for  the  tubercular  and  those  of  unsound 
mind.  The  care  and  management  of  such  an  in- 
stitution, aside  from  the  responsibility  of  the 
inmates,  would  tax  the  strength  and  vitality  of 
many  men,  but  in  Mr.  Perry  tlie  county  has 
found  an  ideal  superintendent.  In  addition  to 
being  a  well  informed  and  jiraetical  farmer,  he  is 
a  good  business  man  and  in  addition  to  this  he 
is  gifted  with  tact,  and  a  genial  disposition  that 
enables  him  to  keep  up  his  admirable  system  of 
management  without  any  friction. 

Mr.  Perry  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Miss 
Fannie  Dry,  and  five  children  were  born  to  them, 
namely:  Mrs.  Alice  Jones,  and  Ada,  Clayton, 
Malla  and  Irene  Perry. 

William  M.  Nissen.  The  story  of  one  of  North 
Carolina's  oldest  manufacturing  industries  might 
be  woven  about  tlie  name  Nissen.  It  is  a  name 
that  signifies  character.  For  eighty  years  or  more 
many  thousands  of  Nissen  wagons  have  been  in 
service,  and  the  buyers  of  these  vehicles  have  long 


since  taken  it  for  granted  that  not  only  the  best 
of  material  entered  into  their  construction,  but  also 
that  the  highest  quality  of  skill  and  the  other 
qualities  which  stand  for  stability  and  reliability 
are  represented  in  their  timbers.  The  present 
proprietor  of  the  Nissen  Wagon  Works  at  Winston- 
Salem  is  William  M.  Nissen,  a  son  of  the  founder 
of  the  business. 

The  name  is  also  one  that  belongs  to  the  colonial 
annals  of  North  Caroling.  The  founder  of  the 
family  in  this  state  was  Rev.  Tyco  Nissen,  who  was 
born  in  Holstein,  Denmark,  March  14,  1732.  He 
was  the  great-grandfather  of  William  M.  Nissen. 
He  came  to  America  when  the  Atlantic  colonies 
still  gave  allegiance  to  Great  Britain,  in  1770. 
Some  time  later  he  arrived  in  North  Carolina  and 
settled  near  Salem,  where  he  bought  a  tract  of  land 
and  developed  it  as  a  farm  or  plantation.  Accord- 
ing to  the  records  found  in  Clewell  's  ' '  History  of 
North  Carolina,"  the  cornerstone  of  a  church 
was  laid  in  1772  at  Friedland  and  the  house  was 
consecrated  February  18,  1775,  and  Rev.  Tyco 
Nissen  was  introduced  as  the  first  minister.  He 
continued  active  in  the  ministry  there  until  1780. 
His  death  occurred  in  Salem  February  20,  1798. 
His  remains  now  repose  in  the  Moravian  grave- 
yard in  Salem.  He  married  Salome  Meuer,  who 
was  born  in  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  January 
20,  1750,  and  died  at  Salem  May  4,  1821.  Her 
father,  Philip  Meuer,  was  born  in  Alsace  March 
25,  1708,  and  died  in  Bethlehem  April  15,  1759. 

Christian  Nissen,  a  son  of  Rev.  Tyco  Nissen, 
was  born  in  Forsyth  County,  North  Carolina,  grew 
up  on  a  farm  and  followed  farming  as  his  active 
vocation.  He  remained  a  resident  of  his  native 
county  untU  his  death.  He  reared  three  daughters 
and  two  sons,  named  Betsy,  Lucinda,  Sally,  John 
Philip  and  Israel. 

John  Philip  Nissen  was  the  founder  of  the  Nissen 
wagon  industry  at  Winston-Salem.  He  was  born 
on  a  farm  in  Broad  Bay  Township  of  Forsyth 
County  in  1813.  A  genius  for  mechanics  was 
apparently  an  inheritance.  Before  he  had  reached 
his  majority,  while  living  on  the  farm  and  with 
only  such  tools  as  were  usually  found  about  a 
farm  in  the  early  half  of  the  last  century,  he  built 
a  wagon  complete  from  tongue  to  endgate.  It  Y'as 
a  wagon  that  saw  many  years  of  hard  service.  It 
was  his  first  masterpiece  and  attracted  much  admi- 
ration and  naturally  excited  a  demand  for  others 
like  it. 

In  1834  John  P.  Nissen  bought  a  lot  in  Waugh- 
fown.  Erecting  a  log  building,  he  made  that  his 
pioneer  wagon  shop.  With  an  equipment  of  hand 
too's,  and  supplying  all  the  labor  himself,  he  began 
making  wagons  for  sale.  There  was  a  customer 
for  every  wagon  before  it  was  finished.  The  cus- 
tom came  from  the  immediate  locality,  but  the  fame 
of  the  Nissen  wagons  steadily  grew,  and  every 
year  the  output  went  to  markets  more  and  more 
distant  from  the  place  of  manufacture.  The  log 
building  was  replaced  by  a  frame  structure,  and 
power  machinery  was  installed.  This  frame  fac- 
tory was  converted  into  a  government  workshop 
during  the  war  between  the  states  and  the  Nissen 
wagons  were  made  in  great  numbers  for  the  Con- 
federate army.  John  Philip  Nissen  had  an  almost 
unerring  judgment  as  to  materials,  and  practically 
until  the  close  of  his  life  took  the  greatest  of 
pains  and  gave  his  personal  supervision  to  nearly 
every  detail  of  manufacture.  It  was  on  the  firm 
foundation  of  his  individual  integrity  and  char- 
acter that  the  fame  of  the  Nissen  wagons  became 


RK 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


61 


widespread.  He  continued  actively  engaged  in  the 
business  which  he  had  founded  until  his  death  in 
1874. 

John  P.  Nisseu  married  Mary  Vawter.  She 
was  born  in  Virginia,  and  came  with  her  father, 
Bradford  Vawter,  from  that  state  to  a  home  a  few 
miles  south  of  Salem.  Bradford  Vawter  bought 
a  farm  there  and  lived  on  it  until  his  death.  Mrs. 
John  Philip  Nissen  died  in  1884.  She  reared  a 
family  of  ten  children,  named  Jane,  George  E., 
John,  Betty,  Reuben,  Frank,  Hattie,  Alice,  William 
M.  and  Samuel. 

William  M.  Nissen  was  born  at  Waughtown, 
which  is  now  a  rural  station  of  the  Winston-Salem 
postoffiee,  and  has  spent  his  life  practically  in 
that  one  locality.  He  attended  the  Boys '  School  at 
Salem  and  than  became  a  youthful  apprentice  in 
his  father  's  factory.  He  studied  all  the  details  of 
wagon  manufacturing  and  knows  the  business  thor- 
oughly from  the  workshop  to  the  counting  room. 
After  he  became  of  age  he  and  his  brother  George 
E.  succeeded  their  father  in  business  and  con- 
ducted the  factory  along  the  same  lines  which  had 
been  emphasized  by  their  honored  father.  In  1909 
William  Nissen  bought  the  interest  of  his  brother, 
and  has  since  been  sole  proprietor.  As  already 
noted,  the  business  was  begun  in  a  log  house,  that 
was  succeeded  by  a  frame  building,  and  in  recent 
years  a  large  brick  factory  has  been  erected,  con- 
taining all  the  modern  appliances  and  machinery 
for  turning  out  finished  wagons,  and  where  his 
father  eighty  years  ago  would  spend  many  days 
on  one  wagon,  the  factory  now  has  an  output  of 
many  vehicles  each  day.  At  times  upwards  of 
200  men  have  been  employed  in  the  plant,  and  it  is 
not  only  one  of  the  oldest  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments under  one  continuous  family  ownership 
in  the  state,  but  also  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
and  one  of  the  chief  assets  of  the  industrial  life  of 
Winston-Salem. 

In  1898  Mr.  Nissen  married  Ida  W.  Wray.  She 
was  born  at  Reedsville,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter 
of  Richard  and  Lucy  (Burton)  Wray.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nissen  have  two  children,  George  W.  and 
Richard. 

Charles  J.  Ogbuen  is  not  only  a  veteran  of  the 
business  and  commercial  life  of  Winston-Salem. 
His  enterprise  and  special  ability  have  long  been 
a  factor  in  the  growth  of  that  community  and  a 
record  of  those  chiefly  responsible  for  the  building 
up  of  this  comparatively  new  city  of  Western 
North  Carolina  could  not  properly  omit  mention 
of  Cliarles  J.  Ogburn. 

Mr.  Ogburn  was  born,  on  a  farm  about  five  miles 
from  Winston-Salem  May  6,  1842.  His  family 
have  long  been  prominent  in  this  section.  His 
grandfather,  William  Ogburn,  was  a  native  of 
Mecklenberg,  Virginia,  and  removed  to  Stokes 
County,  North  Carolina,  locating  a  few  miles  north 
of  Salem,  where  he  bought  land  and  spent  the 
rest  of  his  days  farming.  James  Ogburn,  father 
of  Charles  J.,  was  born  in  Mecklenberg,  Virginia, 
and  was  very  young  when  brought  to  North  Caro- 
lina by-  his  parents.  Having  grown  up  on  a 
farm,  he  took  up  farming  as  his  regular  vocation, 
but  was  also  one  of  the  first  in  this  region  of 
North  Carolina  to  manufacture  tobacco.  He 
bought  land  about  two  miles  from  his  father 's 
home  and  lived  there  until  his  death. 

Charles  J.  Ogburn  had  such  advantages  as  were 
to  be  found  in  the  rural  schools  of  Forsyth  County 
sixty  or  seventy  years  ago.     A  better  preparation 


for  life  were  the  habits  of  industry  and  honesty 
which  were  early  instilled  into  hmi.  He  lived  at 
home  assisting  his  father  in  farming  and  tobacco 
manufacturing  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 

His  military  service  began  in  1862  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  D  Fifty-seventh  Regiment  North 
Carolina  troops.  With  that  regiment  he  was  a 
participant  in  all  its  movements  and  battles  up  to 
and  including  tlie  great  conflict  at  Chancellorsville. 
There  on  May  4,  1863,  he  was  severely  wounded, 
and  two  days  after  the  battle  his  foot  was  ampu- 
tated. He  spent  five  weeks  in  a  hospital  at  Rich- 
mond, was  then  sent  home,  but  as  soon  as  he  was 
able  to  do  so  he  reported  for  duty.  Being  inca- 
pacitated for  field  service  he  was  assigned  to  the 
quartermaster's  department,  and  in  that  capacity 
gave  all  the  service  he  could  to  the  Confederacy 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  he 
supplemented  his  somewhat  meager  education  by 
attending  a  private  school  in  Grayson  County, 
Virginia,  taught  by  Robert  Masten  of  Winston. 
After  this  schooling  he  returned  to  North  Carolina 
and  entered  the  employ  of  his  brother,  Sihon  A. 
Ogburn  and  Mr.  Tice.  He  was  clerk  in  their  busi- 
ness eight  months,  and  then  went  on  the  road  as 
a  traveling  salesman.  Subsequently  he  became 
tobacco  buyer  and  salesman  for  N.  D.  Sullivan, 
and  remained  in  his  employ  seven  years.  Mr. 
Ogburn  then  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  P.  Hill 
under  the  firm  name  of  Ogburn  &  Hill.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  a  very  large  and  influential 
enterprise.  S.  A.  Ogburn  subsequently  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  for  two  years  and  Robert 
Ogburn  was  also  a  partner.  Charles  D.  Ogburn 
later  purchased  an  interest  and  Mr.  Hill  retired. 
Through  different  changes  the  firm  went  on  as 
Ogburn,  Hill  &  Company  until  the  plant  was 
burned  and  the  affairs  of  the  corporation  were 
the  wound  up.  Since  then  Mr.  Charles  J. 
Ogburn  has  lived  retired. 

He  married  Annie  L.  Lindsay.  Mrs.  Ogburn 
was  born  at  High  Point,  North  Carolina,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Robert  Lindsay,  and  she  died  at  Winston- 
Salem  July  9,  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ogburn  reared 
two  children.  The  only  son,  Lindsay,  died  when 
fourteen  years  of  age.  The  daughter,  Anna,  now 
presides  over  the  household  of  her  father.  Mr. 
Ogburn  is  a  member  of  the  Centenary  Methodist 
Church,  of  which  his  wife  was  also  a  faithful 
member.  He  belongs  to  Norfleet  Camp  of  the 
United  Confederate  Veterans. 

James  M.  Butler.  As  cotton  manufacturer, 
merchant,  extensive  farmer,  banker  and  capitalist, 
James  M.  Butler  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of 
Robeson  County,  and  in  association  with  Alexander 
R.  McEachern,  has  organized  and  been  identified 
with  business  enterprises  in  the  past  decade  that 
have  brought  unexampled  prosperity  to  St.  Pauls 
and  other  sections  of  the  county. 

.lames  M.  Butler  was  born  in  Gray's  Creek  Town- 
ship, Cumberland  County,  North  Carolina,  in  1868. 
Like  many  of  the  representative  men  of  the  county, 
Mr.  Butler  is  of  Scotch  ancestry,  the  Butlers  hav- 
ing come  to  North  Carolina  from  Scotland  at 
the  time  of  one  of  the  earliest  Scotch  colonization 
movements,  possibly  in  the  days  of  his  great- 
grandfather, and  they  established  themselves  in 
Cumberland  County.  The  paternal  grandfather 
bore  the  name  of  Daniel  Butler,  and  his  plantation 
was  located  in  the  southern  part  of  Cumberland 
County.      The   parents   of   James   M.   Butler  were 


62 


HISTOKY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


William  and  Sarah  (ilelvin)  Butler,  both  of  whom 
are  now  deceased.  William  Butler  sjjent  his  entire 
life  in  Southern  Cumberland  County  and 
served  four  years  in  the  Coitfederacy.  The"  mother 
of  James  M.  Butler  was  of  English  ancestry. 
The  early  Melvins  located  at  Wilmington  and 
from  there  moved  into  Bladen  County  and  became 
identified   with   its   history. 

James  M.  Butler  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home 
plantation,  attending  school  as  opiiortunity  of- 
fered, and  has  always  retained  an  interest  in 
agriculture,  although  "his  other  interests  have  be- 
come unusually  extensive.  He  came  to  Eobeson 
County  in  1889  and  started,  in  a  small  way,  in  a 
farming,  mercantile  and  manufacturing  business 
in  the  community  that  is  known  as  Tolarsville,  in 
the  extreme  northern  part  of  Howellsville  Town- 
ship and  adjoining  St.  Pauls  Township.  Through 
industry  and  close  attention  to  business  and  Ijy 
the  adoption  of  honorable  methods  in  dealing 
with  his  customers  Mr.  Butler  gradually  built 
up  a  good  mercantile  business  and  was '  ranked 
as  one  of  the  leading  and  most  trustworthy 
country  merchants  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  remained  in  active  business  in  that  community 
until  1912.  Having  become  tinancially  interested 
in  the  development  of  St.  Pauls,  he  came  to  .this 
place  and  has  resided  here  ever  since.  He  still 
retains,  however,  his  extensive  farm  interests  in 
the  Tolarville  community,  owning  several  iina 
jiroperties  and  being  a  heaxn-  cotton  planter. 

After  coming  to  St.  Pauls  Mr.  Butler  was  asso- 
ciated in  a  successful  mercantile  business  for 
some  years  with  Alexander  R.  McEachern  and 
others,  but  since  their  manufacturing  enterprises 
have  grown  to  such  large  proportions,  the  partners 
have  been  gradually  retiring  from  the  purely 
mercantile  field.  While  they  have  numerous  enter- 
prises under  way,  Mr.  Butler  and  Mr.  McEachern 
are  best  known,  perhaps,  in  the  cotton  mill  in- 
dustry, for  it  was  through  their  enterprise  and 
capital  that  mills  of  importance  have  been  estab- 
lished here  and  also  at  Fayetteville,  and  Red 
Springs,  which  give  employment  to  hundreds  of 
workers  and  thereby  give  an  impetus  to  other  lines 
of  business.  Mr.  Butler  is  president  of  the  St. 
Pauls  Cotton  Mills  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Mc- 
Eachern is  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Mr.  Butler 
is  also  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Cape  Fear 
Cotton  Mills  at  Fayetteville.  At  Fayetteville  also 
there  has  been  completed  and  put  in  operation 
the  Advance  Manufa<'turing  Company,  a  modern 
plant  especially  designed  for  the  manufacture  of 
olive  <lrab  cloth  for  the  Government.  This  mill 
is  under  Mr.  Butler 's  personal  management,  and 
is  owned  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Williamson,  of  Fayetteville, 
Mr.  A.  R.  McEachern  and  himself.  Mr.  Butler  is 
also  secretary-treasurer  of  Red  Springs  Cotton 
Mill  Company  of  Red  Springs,  North  Carolina, 
which  has  now  under  construction  a  very  fine  and 
up   to   date  hosiery  yarn  mUl. 

Mr.  Butler  is  prominent  also  in  the  financial 
field  and  in  politics.  He  is  a  vice  president  of  the 
Bank  of  St.  Pauls  and  is  mayor  of  the  young  city, 
which  within  a  very  few  years  has  been  developed 
from  a  village  into  a  busy,  prosperous  and  beauti- 
ful town.  For  some  time  Mr.  Butler  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  county  road  commissioners  of 
Robeson  County,  and  in  that  office,  as  in  others,  his 
business  capacity  and  good  .iudgment  have  been 
of  the  greatest  value  to  his  fellow  citizens. 

Mr.  Butler  married  Miss  Annie  Regan,  who  was 
born  in  Howellsville  Township,  Robeson  County, 
a   daughter   of   Mr.   W.    J.    Regan    and   a    grand- 


daughter of  the  latf  Colonel  Regan.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Butler  have  seven  children,  namelv:  Mrs. 
James  T.  King,  Berta,  W.  Joseph,  Julian,  Ed- 
ward K.,  Annie  Grace  and  James  M.,  Jr.  Mr. 
Butler  and  family  belong  to  the  Baptist  Church. 

James  Ales.\xder  Gray.  First  vice  president 
of  one  of  the  largest  banks  in  North  Carolina, 
the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company  of  Winston- 
Salem,  James  A.  Gray  represents'  one  of  the 
earliest  families  established  at  Winston.  He  saw 
active  service  as  a  boy  soldier  in  the  war  between 
the  states  and  has  been  prominent  in  banking  and 
business  affairs  in  Forsyth  County  for  upwards  of 
a  half  a  century. 

Mr.  Gray  has  just  arrived  at  that  point  in  life 
where  he  can  claim  the  Psalmist 's  allotted  span  of 
years,  three  score  and  ten.  He  was  born  January 
2,  1846.  His  birthplace  was  a  farm,  located 
about  ten  miles  southwest  of  Greensboro,  but  just 
across  the  line  in  Randolph  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. His  grandfather,  Samuel  Gray,  was  a  farmer 
and  so  far  as  known  spent  his  entire  life  in  the 
limits  of  Randolph  County.  The  father  was 
Robert  Gray,  and  was  born  in  Randolph  County 
December  17,  1814.  Thus  the  Grav  family  ha"s 
been  located  in  Western  North  Carolina  for  con- 
siderably more  than  a  century.  Robert  Gray, 
though  a  farmer,  also  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
Randolph  County.  Soon  after  Forsyth  County  was 
formed,  the  Village  of  Winston  was  platted  and 
Robert  Gray  attended  the  first  auction  of  lots. 
He  had  the  distinction  of  buying  the  first  lot 
offered.  Its  situation  was  the  southwest  corner 
of  Third  and  Main  streets,  and  the  ground  is  now 
occupied  by  the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company, 
of  which  his  son  is  vice  president.  On  that  piece 
of  ground  Robert  Gray  erected  a  small  frame 
building.  He  introduced  one  of  the  first  stocks  of 
merchandise  in  the  new  town.  Having  become 
well  situated  and  with  prospects  for  continuing 
success,  he  brought  his  family  to  Winston  in  18-52. 
His  business  went  on  successfully  commencing  in  a 
frame  building  and  ending  in  a  three-story  brick 
building,  when  he  was  compelled  to  suspend  opera- 
tions for  a  time  during  the  progress  of  the  war. 
Later  he  resumed  business.  His  death  occurred 
January  17,  1881. 

Robert  Gray  married  Mary  Millis  Wiley.  She 
was  born  in  Guilford  County.  North  Carolina,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Millis)  Wiley. 
Samuel  Wiley's  mother  was  a  Shannon,  whose 
father  (a  great-great-grandfather  of  James  A. 
Gray)  was  one  of  four  brothers  coming  to  America 
in  Colonial  times.  One  of  these  brothers  located  in 
Pennsylvania,  another  in  South  Carolina,  another 
in  Ohio  and  the  fourth,  the  ancestor  of  the  line 
now  under  consideration  in  North  Carolina.  Wil- 
liam Shannon,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  brothers, 
was  governor  of  Ohio  and  United  States  senator. 
Samuel  Wiley  was  a  farmer  in  Guilford  County 
and  spent  his  last  days  there.  Robert  Gray  and 
wife  reared  nine  children:  Samuel  Wiley,  Martha, 
James  A.,  Robert  T..  Mav  Belle,  Eobah  F.,  Eugene 
E.,  Emory  S.  and  Will'T.  The  oldest  of  these, 
Samuel  W.,  left  his  studies  at  the  State  University 
to  enlist  on  July  5,  1862,  in  Company  D  of  the 
Fifty-seventh  Regiment,  North  Carolina  Troops. 
He  was  appointed  first  sergeant  and  for  gallant 
and  meritorious  service  was  promoted  to  captain 
in  December,  1862.  He  was  with  his  command 
in  all  its  campaigns  and  battles  up  to  and  includ- 
ing the  three  days "  struggle  at  Gettysburg.     On 


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THE  ?:LV''  vork 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


ASTOR,  ; 

TiLDLN  f c:;.-  J.   :      :"    J 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


63 


the  second  day  of  that  great  battle  he  was  killed, 
July  2,  1863. 

James  A.  Gray  was  six  years  of  age  when  the 
family  moved  to  Winston,  and  some  of  his  earliest 
recollections  are  of  that  city,  then  a  wilderness 
hamlet.  He  attended  the  free  school  and  Winston 
High  School,  and  also  the  Boys '  School  at  Salem, 
and  also  had  the  advantages  of  a  course  in  Trinity 
College.  As  a  boy  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
store,  but  when  he  was  still  young  he  volunteered 
his  services  toward  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
enlisted  in  Company  C  of  the  Thirty-sixth  Regi- 
ment, North  Carolina  Troops.  He  was  in  the 
army  eight  months.  At  Fort  Fisher  he  was  cap- 
tured, and  spent  two  months  as  a  prisoner  of  war 
at  Elmira,  New  York. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  he  lent  his  individual 
energies  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  Winston 
as  a  commercial  center  and  became  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Wachovia  National  Bank.  He 
was  assistant  cashier  of  that  institution,  subse- 
c|uently  casliier  and  finally  president.  Wlieu  the 
Wachovia  National  Bank  and  the  Wachovia  Loan 
&  Trust  Company  were  consolidated,  taking  the 
new  name  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company, 
Mr.  Gray  became  its  first  vice  president  and  has 
filled  that  post  to  the  present  time.  The  Wachovia 
Bank  &  Trust  Company  has  a  capital  of  $1,250,000 
and  its  deposits  and  general  resources  are  pro- 
portionate to  its  large  capitalization. 

Mr.  Gray  married  Miss  Aurelia  Bowman  of 
High  Point,  North  Carolina.  She  was  born  at 
Oak  Ridge  in  Guilford  County,  North  Carolina. 
Her  father,  Wyatt  Bowman,  was  the  first  president 
of  the  Wachovia  National  Bank  of  Winston.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gray  were  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Bowman,  Mary,  Bessie  and  James  A.,  Jr.  Bow- 
man is  now  a  vice  president  of  the  R.  J.  Reynolds 
Tobacco  Company,  and  by  his  marriage  to  Nathalie 
Lyon  has  two  children  named  Bowman  and  Gordon. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Alexander  H.  Galloway,  and 
their  two  children  are  James  Bowman  and  Alex- 
ander H.  Bessie  married  Charles  E.  Plumly  and 
has  three  children  Elizabeth,  Lindsay  and  Aurelia. 
James  A.,  Jr.,  married  Pauline  L.  Bahnson. 

Mrs.  Gray  died  in  August,  1914.  She  and  Mr. 
Gray  were  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South.  He  is  trustee  of  the  Chil- 
dren 's  Home,  the  Methodist  Orphanage,  aud  was 
one  of  the  contributors  to  that  splendid  institu- 
tion. He  is  also  a  trustee  of  Trinity  College,  and 
he  together  with  Gen.  J.  S.  Carr  of  Durham,  and 
Col.  J.  W.  Alsjiaugh  of  Winston,  contributed  to  the 
maintenance  of  the  college  for  three  years  at  Old 
Trinity  in  Randolph  County  before  its  removal  to 
Durham.  Mr.  Gray  throughout  his  citizenship  in 
Winston-Salem  has  been  one  of  the  liberal  con- 
tributors to  all  worthy  objects  claiming  his  atten- 
tion, and  his  career  has  been  guided  by  high  ideals 
and  firm  principles  of  right.  He  is  chairman  of 
the  board  of  stewards  of  the  Centenary  Methodist 
Church  and  a  member  of  the  Twin  City  Club  aud 
the  Forsyth  Country  Club. 

Hon.  James  Alexander  Gray,  Jr.,  youngest  son 
and  child  of  James  A.  Gray  elsewhere  referred  to, 
is  for  a  man  still  in  his  twenties  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  North  Carolina  in  respect  to 
his  various  associations  and  interests. 

He  was  born  in  Winston-Salem,  August  21,  1889, 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  graduated  from 
high  school,  and  in  1908  received  the  A.  B.  degree 
from  the  University  of  North  Carolina.     Thus  he 


has  had  only  ten  years  in  which  to  achieve  a  posi- 
tion and  name  for  himself.  His  first  employment 
after  leaving  the  University  was  in  the  Wachovia 
National  Bank  as  manager  of  the  savings  depart- 
ment. In  1911  when  Wachovia  National  and  the 
Wachovia  Loan  aud  Trust  Company  were  consoli- 
dated as  the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  Mr. 
Gray  was  elected  Assistant  Treasurer,  and  in 
January,  1915,  came  to  his  present  responsibility  as 
Treasurer  of  that  great  institution,  the  largest 
banking  house  in  the  State.  Mr.  Gray  for  three 
years  was  Vice  President  of  the  North  Carolina 
State  Bankers'  Association,  and  in  1918  was 
elected  President.  On  April  18,  1918,  Mr.  Gray 
was  married  to  Miss  Pauline  Lizette  Bahnson, 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Henry  T.  Bahnson. 

Mr.  Gray  was  elected  in  the  fall  of  1916  to  the 
North  Carolina  State  Senate  from  the  Twenty- 
sixth  District,  and  during  the  following  sessions 
was  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  of  the 
Senate.  During  1915-6  he  served  as  chairman  of 
the  Forsythe  County  Board  of  Highway  Commis- 
sioners. Since  191.3,  by  action  of  the  Legislature, 
he  has  served  as  a  Trustee  of  the  University  of 
North  Carolina. 

Hon.  Erastus  Beverly  Jone.s  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  North  Carolina  bar  for  over  thirty-five 
years.  Much  of  his  time  has  been  spent  in  public 
service.  He  filled  with  distinction  the  office  of 
circuit  judge,  and  for  several  terms  represented 
Forsyth  and  adjoining  counties  in  the  Legislature. 
For  yeai-s  his  name  has  been  closely  associated  with 
the  public  and  professional  life  of  Western  North 
Carolina. 

He  was  born  on  a  plantation  near  Bethania  in 
Forsyth  County.  His  paternal  lineage  goes  back 
to  Wales.  The  immigrant  ancestor  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  colonial  times  and  settled  on  what  became 
known  as  Jones  Ch-eek  in  the  city  of  Baltimore. 
While  living  there  he  operated  a  grist  mill  but 
subsecpiently  moved  to  Pittsylvania  County,  Vir- 
ginia. Judge  Jones'  grandfather  was  Gabriel 
Jones,  who  probably  spent  all  his  life  in  Virginia. 

Dr.  Beverly  Jones,  father  of  Judge  Jones,  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Henry  County,  Virginia,  and 
acquired  his  medical  education  in  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College  at  Pliiladelphia.  After  completing  his 
course  there  he  removed  to  North  Carolina,  and 
for  five  or  six  years  practiced  at  Germauton  in 
Stokes  County.  For  his  permanent  home  he  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  Bethania,  and  looked  after  his 
plantation  while  attending  to  his  large  country 
practice.  His  was  a  notable  life,  and  one  of 
unceasing  service  to  his  fellow  man.  His  prac- 
tice extended  for  many  miles  around  his  plan- 
tation, and  he  was  obliged  to  keep  several  horses 
since  he  was  almost  constantly  riding  and  driv- 
ing. During  much  of  his  practice  he  rode 
horseback,  carrying  his  instruments  aud  medicines 
in  saddle  bags  after  the  fashion  of  the  old  time 
practitioner.  Though  his  life  was  a  strenuous  one, 
he  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-two.  Doctor  Jones 
married  Julia  A.  Conrad.  She  was  born  at 
Bethania,  North  Carolina,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven.  Her  parents  were  Abraham  and 
Phillipiua  (Lash)  Conrad.  Abraham  Conrad  was 
born  in  Berks  County.  Pennsylvania,  and  his  father 
became  a  pioneer  settler  at  Bethania,  North  Caro- 
lina. He  was  both  a  farmer  and  merchant. 
Abraham  Conrad  followed  farming  as  his  regular 
vocation,  and  had  a  number  of  slaves  to  cultivate 
his  plantation.     His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of 


64 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


eighty-four  and  his  wife  passed  away  at  sixty-five. 
Phillijiina  Lash  was  born  at  Bethania,  North 
Carolina.  Her  father,  Christian  Lash,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  after  coming  to  North 
Carolina  lived  for  a  time  at  Bethabia  and  then 
removed  to  Bethania,  wliere  he  followed  mer- 
chandising and  fanning.  His  son,  Israel  Lash, 
at  one  time  represented  this  district  in  Congress. 

Doctor  and  Mrs.  Jones  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children:  Abraham  G.,  James  B.,  Alexander  C, 
Robert  H.,  Erastus  B.,  Ella  M.,  Virginia  E.,  Julia 
P.,  Catherine  E.  and  Lucian  G.  Abraham  G.  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Confederate  service  and  is  now  a 
practicing  physician.  James  B.  was  also  a  Con- 
federate soldier  and  is  now  president  of  the 
Williams  Woods  College  at  Fulton,  Missouri.  Alex- 
ander C.  left  college  to  enter  the  Confederate 
army  and  died  in  service  in  his  eighteenth  year. 
Robert  H.  is  a  practising  dentist  at  Winston- 
Salem. 

Erastus  Beverly  Jones  had  the  good  fortune  to 
be  reared  in  a  home  of  high  ideals,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  parents  were  such  that  they 
could  afford  him  the  advantages  of  a  liberal  edu- 
cation. He  was  graduated  from  Wake  Forest 
College  in  1877,  and  then  took  up  the  study  of 
law  with  Judge  T.  J.  Wilson  and  afterwards 
studied  under  Dick  &  Dillard.  He  was  licensed 
to  practice  by  the  Superior  Court  in  1880.  His 
first  work  as  a  lawyer  was  done  at  Taylorsville  in 
Alexander  County.  In  1884  Judge  Jones  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  'In 
1890  he  came  to  Winston,  and  here  formed  a  part- 
nership with  R.  B.  Kerner  under  the  name  Jones  & 
Keruer.  His  services  have  always  been  in  much 
demand  in  the  important  litigation  tried  in  the 
courts  of  this  district  and  in  the  state  at  large. 

In  1892  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State 
Senate  to  represent  Forsyth,  Davidson  and  Rowan 
counties.  While  in  the  Senate  he  was  chairman 
of  the  judiciary  committee.  A  prominent  demo- 
crat. Judge  Jones  has  been  one  of  the  leaders  of 
his  party  in  the  western  part  of  the  state.  In 
1896  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Democratic 
Convention,  and  a  member  of  the  organization  com- 
mittee. From  the  first  he  was  a  strong  advocate 
of  the  Nebraska  statesman  William  J.  IJryan,  and 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  strategy  by  which 
that  orator  was  nominated  in  Cliicago  in  1896. 
Realizing  that  his  favorite's  chances  for  the  nomi- 
nation would  be  lessened  should  he  be  made  chair- 
man of  the  convention.  Mr.  Jones  gave  his  vote 
and  influence  to  Senator  White  of  California,  as 
chairman.  In  1898  Judge  Jones  was  a  candidate 
for  solicitor  of  the  Eleventh  District.  His  de- 
feat was  accomplished  by  only  thirty-four  votes. 
In  1902,  without  being  a  candidate,  he  was  elected 
to  the  bench  and  gave  seven  and  a  half  years  of 
competent  and  dignified  service  in  that  capacity. 
He  finally  resigned  from  the  bench  in  order  to 
resume  his  legal  practice. 

In  1912  Judge  Jones  was  again  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Senate  from  the  Twenty-sixth  District. 
During  the  following  session  he  was  chairman  of 
the  railroad  committee  and  was  a  member  of  the 
appropriation  and  finance  committees. 

Judge  Jones  was  first  married  in  1886,  but  his 
wife  died  in  the  following  year.  In  1889  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Susie  Barber.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Hervey  Louise.  Mrs.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  Mr.  Jones  is  a  member 
of  the  Disciples  Church,  and  he  is  affiliated  with 


Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons. 

Mrs.  Jones  comes  from  a  long  line  of  prominent 
ancestors  who  played  a  distinctive  part  in  the 
early  history  oi  Kentucky.  Her  mother  was 
Emeline  (Hauser)  Barber.  Mrs.  Jones  was  born 
at  Falmouth,  Kentucky,  and  that  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  her  mother.  Her  mother  was  born 
June  6,  1830.  The  Hauser  family  in  North  Caro- 
lina goes  back  to  Martin  Hauser,  who  was  born 
in  Alsace  in  1696  and  afterwards  came  to  America 
with  a  colony  of  Moravians.  He  lived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania until  1752,  when  he  came  to  North  Carolina, 
locating  at  Bethabia,  which  was  then  in  Surry, 
later  in  Stokes  and  now  in  Forsyth  County.  That 
was  his  home  but  a  short  time  until  he  removed 
to  the  present  site  of  Bethania.  He  died  there 
in  1761.  Martin  Hauser  married  Margaretta,  who 
was  born  November  4,  1702,  and  died  January  12, 
1775. 

Their  son  George  Hauser  was  born  February  17, 
1730,  and  was  past  his  majority  when  he  came  to 
North  Carolina  with  his  parents.  He  died  at 
Bethania  in  1801.     His  wife  was  Barbara  Elrod. 

Their  son  Lieut.  George  Hauser  was  born  at 
Bethania  August  28,  1755.  He  was  the  great- 
grandfather of  Mrs.  Jones.  Lieut.  George  Hauser 
made  a  notable  record  as  a  soldier  during  the 
Revolutionary  war.  In  August,  1776,  he  enlisted 
in  Captain  Henry 's  company  and  was  commis- 
sioned lieutenant.  This  company  was  attached  to 
Col.  James  Williams  Regiment.  With  the  com- 
mand he  was  first  employed  in  pursuing  the  hos- 
tile Cherokee  Indians,  being  away  from  home  on 
that  campaign  about  four  months.  In  March, 
1777,  he  was  married  at  Germanton  to  Magdalena 
Shore.  He  was  already  member  of  a  company  of 
minute  men,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  was  called 
out  for  service.  The  troops  marched  to  the 
Blue  Ridge  to  look  for  some  troublesome  Tories. 
Crossing  the  mountains,  for  a  time  they  guarded 
the  lead  mines  and  escorted  the  wagons  carrying 
that  invaluable  element  in  the  making  of  muni- 
tions for  the  patriot  armies  to  Salisbury.  Arriving 
at  Salisbury  the  lead  was  delivered  to  General 
Rutherford.  After  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain 
Lieutenant  Hauser  with  others  was  sent  to  Salem, 
Virginia,  to  guard  British  prisoners.  He  subse- 
quently was  employed  in  guarding  a  train  trans- 
porting ammunition  to  Salem.  When  Cornwallis' 
soldiers  were  overrunning  this  section  of  North 
Carolina,  Lieut.  George  Hauser  was  home  at 
Bethania.  He  and  others  were  compelled  to  drink 
to  the  health  of  King  George.  While  his  glass  was 
poised  in  the  air  he  spoke  what  was  supposed  to 
be  the  health  of  the  King  but  in  realty  meant  ' '  to 
hell  with  the  king."  He  escaped  condign  pun- 
ishment for  this  merely  because  he  was  not  under- 
stood, having  uttered  the  words  in  a  mixture  of 
German  and  English  that  was  somewhat  unin- 
telligible to  the  redcoats.  For  his  services  as  a 
soldier  the  state  gave  Lieutenant  Hauser  large 
tracts  of  land  in  Obion  County,  Tennessee.  After 
the  war  he  continued  to  be  prominent  in  public 
affairs,  and  represented  his  district  in  the  State 
Legislature  seven  times.  His  death  occurred  No- 
vember 3,  1818.  His  wife  survived  him  and  for 
a  number  of  years  drew  a  pension  from  the  Fed- 
eral government. 

Samuel  Thomas  Hauser,  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
.Tones,  was  born  at  Bethania  in_1794.  He  was 
liberally  educated.     When  a  young  man  he  started 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


65 


on  horseback  for  the  West  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
vestigating tlie  lands  granted  to  his  father  in 
Tennessee.  He  also  had  some  business  matters  re- 
quiring his  attention  in  Kentucky.  In  tlie  course 
of  his  journey  he  visited  Palmoiith.  While  there 
he  was  induced  to  teach  a  term  of  school,  and  the 
locality  attracted  him  so  much  that  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  opened  an  oiEce  and  began 
the  practice  of  law.  He  continued  one  of  the 
honored  members  of  the  Kentucky  bar  until  his 
death  in  1865.  He  also  served  as  circuit  judge. 
He  was  married  at  Falmouth,  Kentucky,  to  Mary 
Ann  Kennett.  Slie  was  the  daughter  of  William 
and  Euphemia  (Hall)  Kennett,  natives  of  Mary- 
land, and  early  settlers  in  Kentucky.  The  Ken- 
netts  are  of  colonial  ancestry  and  have  taken  part 
in  the  pioneer  life  of  several  states  in  the  West. 
One  of  them  was  actively  identified  with  the  found- 
ing of  the  City  of  St.  Louis. 

The  motlier  of  Mrs.  Jones  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated at  ralmouth,  Kentucky,  and  spent  all  her 
life  there.  She  married  Dr.  James  Henry  Barber. 
Doctor  Barber  was  born  at  New  Eiclimond,  Ohio, 
February  29,  1824.  He  was  educated  at  Marietta 
College,  graduated  from  the  Ohio  Medical  College 
at  Cincinnati,  and  soon  afterward  located  at  Fal- 
mouth, Kentucky,  where  he  continued  the  active 
practice  of  medicine  until  his  death  in  September, 
1912.  Doctor  Barber  was  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and 
Hannah  (Ashburn)  Barber.  The  Barber  ancestors 
were  early  settlers  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
and  in  the  various  generations  were  prominent  in 
public  life  and  some  of  them  were  soldiers  in  the 
Kevolution. 

Hon.  Leroy  Campbell  Caldwell.  Prominent 
among  the  distinguished  citizens  of  Iredell 
County  is  found  Hon.  Leroy  Campbell  Caldwell, 
who  for  more  than  thirty  years  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  North  Carolina  bar,  among  whose  mem- 
liers,  by  his  learning,  his  industry,  his  ability  and 
his  character,  he  has  attained  a  high  place.  In 
no  less  degree  is  he  valued  in  his  home  community 
of  Statesville  as  a  public  otScial  who  has  done 
much  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  city  and  as 
a  liberal-minded   and   enterprising   citizen. 

Mayor  Leroy  Campbell  Caldwell  of  Statesville 
was  iiorn  in  tlie  eastern  part  of  Mecklenburg 
County,  North  Carolina,  in'  1858,  his  parents  being 
Charles  A.  and  Louise  (Cochran)  Caldwell.  His 
grandfather  was  John  Caldwell,  and  he  is  a  de- 
scendant of  those  bearing  the  name  who  were  the 
first  in  settling  in  Mecklenburg  County  with  the 
other  Scotch-Irish  pioneers.  Those  bearing  this 
name  have  ever  since  been  prominent  in  the  his- 
tory and  development  of  North  Carolina,  particu- 
larly in  Mecklenburg  County  and  other  Western 
sections  of  the  state.  Charles  A.  Caldwell  was 
a  machinist  by  trade,  although  the  Caldwells  of 
the  earlier  generations  had  been,  as  a  rule,  planters. 
He  remained  in  Mecklenburg  County  with  his 
family  until  1862,  when  he  removed  to  Concord, 
the  county  seat  of  Cabarrus  County,  and  there 
passed  the  remaining  years  of  his  life.  During 
the  war  between  the  South  and  the  North,  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  the  Confederate  govern- 
ment, assisting  in  that  department  of  mechanics 
which  plays  such  an  important  part  in  warfare, 
that  of  machinery  making.  He  was  an  industrious 
and  hard-working  man  who  held  the  respect  of 
his  fellow-townsmen  by  his  energy,  integrity  and 
good  citizenship.  Mrs.  Caldwell's  people,  the 
Cochrans,  were  also  among  the  eai'ly  Scotch-Irish 
settlers  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
Vol.  rv—s 


Leroy  Campbell  Caldwell  prepared  for  college 
under  the  late  B.  F.  Rogers,  of  Concord,  a  nation- 
ally known  educator  of  his  day,  subsequently  spent 
three  years  at  Erskine  College,  South  Carolina, 
aiul  took  his  senior  year  of  college  work  at  Trinity 
College,  Durham,  North  Carolina.  He  read  law 
under  the  tutelage  of  Judge  W.  J.  Montgomery, 
of  Concord,  and  in  the  famous  law  school  of 
Judges  Dillard  &  Dock,  at  Greensboro,  where  he 
spent  a  year.  He  was  licensed  to  practice  in 
1879,  but  did  not  begin  to  enter  seriously  upon  the 
duties  of  his  calling  until  six  years  later,  in  1885, 
when  he  established  himself  in  law  practice  at 
Statesville,  Iredell  County,  which  has  since  been 
his  home  and  field  of  operation.  He  was  for  sev- 
eral years  a  partner  of  the  late  Major  Bingham. 
Mr.  Caldwell 's  legal  attainments  are  solid.  He 
is  thoroughly  grounded  in  elementary  principles 
and  possessed  of  a  fine  discrimination  in  the  ap- 
plication of  legal  precedents.  He  is  a  fluent 
speaker  and  his  style  is  notable  for  its  purity  and 
accurate  use  of  words.  In  addition  to  faithfully 
caring  for  the  duties  of  a  large  and  representative 
law  practice  in  the  courts  of  North  Carolina' and 
the  federal  tribunals,  he  has  been  for  a  number 
of  years  a  prominent  figure  in  public  life.  In 
1896  he  was  first  elected  mayor  of  Statesville, 
serving  in  that  office  for  two  years  at  that  time, 
and  in  1910  was  again  elected  mayor,  since  which 
time  he  has  served  continuously  in  the  ofiice,  by 
virtue  of  reelections  in  1912  and  1914.  He  is  an 
able  and  efiicient  city  officer  and  during  his  ad- 
ministrations Statesville  has  grown  healthfully  in 
its  commercial  and  industrial  life,  and  many  pub- 
lic improvements  of  importance  have  been  com- 
pleted as  a  result  of  his  executive  energy  and 
clean  and  business-like  handling  of  affairs  in  the 
civic  government.  He  has  proven  a  most  accept- 
able and  efiicient  ofiicial,  and  is  very  popular  with 
tlie  people  of  his  adopted  city.  He  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  a  material  way,  and  at  the  present  time, 
in  addition  to  being  identified  with  a  number  of 
business  interests,  he  holds  much  city  realty,  and 
is  likewise  the  owner  of  two  farms,  one  in  Iredell 
(Jounty,  about  two  miles  east  of  Statesville,  and 
one  in  Fairfield  County,  South  Carolina. 

Mayor  Caldwell  has  been  twice  married.  His 
first  wife,  who  is  now  deceased,  was  Miss  Maggie 
Youngue  before  her  marriage,  a  native  of  South 
Carolina  of  Huguenot  descent.  Six  children  were 
born  to  this  union:  Kittie  Youngue  wife  of  Jno 
P.  Planigan,  deceased,  Louise  Campbell,  wife  of 
E.  P.  Clampitt,  Dallas  Brice  deceased,  Julian 
Campbell  deceased,  an  infant  daugliter  deceased, 
and  Joe  Youngue.  The  latter  is  a  lawyer  prac- 
ticing in  association  with  his  father,  and  a  young 
man  of  excellent  education  and  far  greater  than 
ordinary  talents.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  North  Carolina,  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  a 
graduate  in  law  of  Columbia  Law  School,  New 
York. 

The  first  wife  of  Judge  Caldwell  died  in  190.3, 
and  he  was  subsequently  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Edna  Love,  of  Taylorsville,  North  Carolina. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Ellen,  and  two  boys,  both 
of  whom  are  dead. 

Charles  M.  Townsend,  M.  D.  A  physician  an.l 
surgeon  of  high  attainments  and  large  experience. 
Doctor  Townsend  has  done  little  practice  in  recent 
years,  and  has  surrendered  himself  to  that  calling 
"and  vocation  which  has  been  strongest  in  the  blood 
of  the  Townsend  family,  agriculture.  He  has 
some  of  the  finest  land  and  is  one  of  the  leading 


66 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


crop    growers,    especially    cottou,    at   Eajmliam    iu 
Eobesou  County. 

It  was  ill  this  part  of  Eobesou  Couuty  that 
Doctor  Towusend  was  born  in  18(56.  The  Town  of 
Eayuham  is  ou  the  Couway  branch  of  the  Atlantic 
Coast  Line  Kailway  iu  Thompson  Township  of 
Eobesou  County.  The  name  was  given  it  by 
Doctor  Townseud  from  the  fact  that  Eayuham, 
England,  was  the  home  of  the  Towusend  family 
ancestor,  Sir  Charles  Towusend. 

The  Towusends  have  been  distiuguished  iu  many 
states  of  America  from  the  early  Colonial  period. 
There  is  a  well  founded  tradition  that  the  first 
of  the  name  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  The 
southern  branch  of  the  family  has  lived  iu  Eobe- 
sou County,  North  Carolina,  since  about  the  time 
of  the  Eevolutiou;  Doctor  Townseud 's  grand- 
father, Alexander  Townseud,  owned  a  large 
amount  of  land  in  Eobeson  County.  His  honie 
was  on  Bear  Swamp,  where  General  F.  A.  Bond's 
"Hunter's  Lodge"  is  now  located.  David  Town- 
send,  father  of  Doctor  Towusend,  was  born  ou 
Bear  Swamp  and  on  reaching  mauhood  he  and  two 
of  hig  brothers  settled  on  what  was  then  known 
as  Aar-on's  Swamp,  the  present  location  of  Eayu- 
ham. The  Towusends  are  a  race  of  land  owners 
and  agriculturists,  and  for  several  generations 
have  been  among  the  leaders  in  planting  and 
farming  enterprises  iu  this  part  of  North  Caro- 
lina, ranking  also  as  wealthy  and  substantial 
citizens.  Taking  the  family  as  a  whole  in  Eobe- 
son County  they  own  estates  comprising  several 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  Back  Swamp,  Eaft 
Swamp,  Pembroke  and  Thompson  townships. 
Doctor  Towusend 's  mother  was  a  Thompson,  and 
member  of  the  family  for  whom  Thompson  Town- 
ship iu  Eobeson  County  was  named. 

Charles  M.  Townseud  was  well  educated  and 
had  all  the  opportunities  and  advantages  derived 
from  good  social  position  and  material  prosperity. 
He  atteuded  the  local  schools  and  took  his  literary 
work  in  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  also 
began  the  study  of  medicine.  In  1893  he  grad- 
uated from  the  medical  department  of  Tulane 
University  at  New  Orleans.  The  next  two  or  three 
years  he  spent  in  building  up  a  promising  ]>rivate 
practice  in  his  old  home  community  and  then 
interrupted  it  to  go  abroad  and  pursue  post- 
graduate courses  in  Queen  Charlotte  Hospital  at 

London. 

Since  giving  up  medical  jiractiee  Doctor  Town- 
seud has  gained  the  reputation  of  being  and  well 
deserves  to  be  called  one  of  the  best  farmers  in 
North  Carolina.  He  is  vice  president  for  this 
state  of  the  National  Farmers  Congress.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  identified  with  farmers 
organizations  in  the  state,  and  has  put  himself 
iu  the  lead  in  all  movements  for  the  advancement 
of  agriculture,  for  the  improvement  of  country 
life,  for  the  securing  of  better  markets  and  market- 
ing'conditions  and  a  more  equitable  distril)ution  of 
advantages  to  all  who  make  their  living  from  tlie 
soil.  Doctor  Towusend  is  a  close  student  of  agri- 
cultural science,  is  perhaps  as  well  read  in  agri- 
cultural literature  as  any  man  in  his  part  of  the 
state,  and  never  neglects  an  opportunity  t-o  get 
into  closer  touch  with  improved  methods  in  the 
field  or  in  stock  husbandry,  and  is  constantly  seek- 
ing to  improve  his  own  business  and  get  better 
methods  introduced  into  the  business  of  his 
neighbors  in  the  way  of  putting  farming  on  a 
businesslike  basis. 

Doctor  Towusend 's  plantation  at  Eaynham 
comprises  about  fourteen  hundred  acres.     He  also 


has  under  his  charge  several  hundred  acres  in 
tarms  belonging  to  other  members  of  the  Towu- 
send family.  Ou  his  own  place  he  usually  works 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  plows,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  cotton  producers  iu  this  section.  Other 
financial  interests  connect  him  with  various  busi- 
ness institutions.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Lumberton,  the  Merchants  and 
Farmers  Bank  of  Eowland,  and  is  a  director  of 
the  National  Cotton  Mills  at  Lumberton.  Doctor 
Towusend  married  Miss  Meta  Warncll.  She  is 
now  deceased,  and  left  no  children. 

Joseph  A.  Bitting,  now  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  prominently  identified  with  business  affairs 
at  Winston-Salem,  and  throughout  the  relations  of 
a  long  life  was  entitled  to  the  splendid  respect 
and  esteem  pa'd  him. 

He  was  a  native  of  Stokes  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, where  his  ancestors  were  among  the  first  set- 
tlers. His  father  John  Bitting  was  a  farmer  and 
spent  his  entire  career  in  Stokes  County.  Joseph 
A.  Bitting  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm,  and  after 
reaching  manhood  bought  a  plantation  of  his  own 
in  Yadkin  Couuty.  There  he  became  a  success- 
ful general  farmer  and  tobacco  raiser  and  while 
there  set  up  a  plant  for  the  manufacture  of 
tobacco.  When  the  war  was  raging  between  the 
states  he  did  his  part  for  the  Confederate  cause 
and  was  detailed  to  look  after  the  families  of  sol- 
diers and  provide  for  their  comfort.  He  devoted 
himself  conscientiously  and  self-sacrificingly  to 
this  duty  and  those  at  the  front  felt  more  security 
and  were  better  able  to  carry  on  their  duties  as 
soldiers  because  they  knew  their  families  had  as 
friends  and  counselor  and  a  help  in  time  of  need 
such  a  man  as  Mr.  Bitting. 

After  the  war  he  removed  his  tobacco  plant  to 
Augrusta,  Georgia,  where  he  became  actively 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco.  He 
finally  transferred  his  operations  to  Winston- 
Salem  and  was  one  of  the  older  men  in  the 
tobacco  industry  of  that  city. 

Mr.  Bitting  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one,  known 
and  respected  all  over  Western  North  Carolina. 
He  married  Miss  Louisa  Wilson,  who  still  lives  at 
Winston-Salem  and  is  mentioned  iu  succeeding 
paragraphs.  Mr.  Bitting  was  an  active  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mrs.  Louisa  Wilson  Bitting,  widow  of  the  late 
Joseph  A.  Bitting,  has  long  been  prominent  in 
social,  religious  and  philanthro)iic  affairs  at  Win- 
ston-Salem. 

She  represents  an  old  and  honored  family  name 
in  this  section  of  the  state.  She  was  born  at 
Bethania  in  Stokes  County,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
George  Follet  and  Henrietta  (Hauser)  Wilson. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  a  son 
of  George  T.  Wilson,  who  went  from  Massachu- 
setts to  the  State  of  Miehiagn  as  a  pioneer  and 
spent  his  last  years  there.  Doctor  Wilson  was 
reared  and  was  given  his  academic  advantages  in 
Massachusetts  and  subsequently  entered  the  Jef- 
ferson Medical  College  at  Philadelphia,  where  he 
was  graduated  with  his  degree  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
His  choice  of  location  was  in  North  Carolina,  and 
at  Bethania  he  quickly  acquired  a  splendid  reputa- 
tion as  a  physician  and  enjoyed  a  large  practice 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-one.  Doctor  Wilson  married  Henrietta 
Hauser.  She  was  born  at  Bethania,  daughter  of 
Henry   and   Phillipena   Christina    (Lash)    Hauser. 


o 

w 

O 


I. 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


67 


Her  granjfather,  George  Hauser,  Jr.,  was  a  Eevo- 
lutiouary  soldier,  was  a  son  of  George  Hauser,  Sr., 
and  a  grandson  of  Martin  Hauser,  a  prominent 
cliaracter  in  Western  North  Carolina,  who  settled 
at  Bethunia  in  1753.  Mrs.  Bitting 's  mother  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  after  rearing  seven  uhil- 
dreu:  Henry,  Virgil,  Louisa,  Eeuben,  George 
Mary  and  Julia.  The  son  Keuben  served  as  a 
major  in  the  Twenty-third  Regiment,  North  Caro- 
lina Troops  during  the  war  between  the  states. 
He  was  twice  wounded,  the  last  wound  causing  the 
amputation  of  one  ol  the  lower  limbs.  Mrs.  Bit- 
ting's  mother  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Moravian  Church,  and  her  father,  while  not  a 
member  of  any  church,  was  a  man  of  the  most 
moral  and  uprigut  character,  and  widely  known 
and  trusted  as  a  friend  as  well  as  a  physician. 

Mrs.  Bitting  was  reared  and  educated  at 
Bethania  and  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  A.  Bit- 
ting. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bitting  reared  nine  children: 
Anna,  Susie,  Louisa,  Henry,  George,  Lillie,  Sadie, 
Alexander  and  Casper.  Mrs.  Bitting  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  She  takes  much 
interest  in  church  affairs,  being  connected  with 
the^  Ladies'  Aid  and  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society.  She  is  also  a  member  of  the  Civic  League 
and  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy. 

W.  Ledoux  Siewers  is  a  prominent  manufac- 
turer and  business  man  of  Winston-Salem.  While 
his  achievements  have  lain  in  the  commercial  field, 
many  members  of  his  family  gained  eminence  in 
the  professions.  His  father  was  for  many  years  a 
leading  physician  in  Western  North  Carolina, 
though  his  enterprise  also  extended  to  railway 
building  and  industrial  development.  Many  of 
tlie  family  have  been  oflScials  and  ministers  of  the 
Moravian  Church. 

His  great-grandfather  was  R«v.  Henry  Fred- 
erick Siewers,  who  was  born  in  Lehre,  Germany, 
July  11,  1757.  In  1770  he  was  confirmed  in 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  1787  went  to  Herrn- 
hut,  Germany,  where  he  was  received  into  active 
membership  by  the  Moravian  Church.  As  a  mis- 
sionary for  that  denomination  he  was  sent  to  the 
West  Indies  and  labored  among  the  natives  on  the 
Islands  of  St.  Kips,  St.  Jan  and  St.  Thomas. 
In  1822  he  came  to  the  United  States,  locating 
at  Nazareth,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  February 
4,  1845.  He  married  Dorothea  Margaretta  Wrang. 
She  was  born  April  25,  1774,  on  an  island  in 
the  Duchy  of  Schleswig.  She  united  with  the 
Moravian  Church.  Her  death  occurred  December 
6,  1855.     They  reared  eight  children. 

John  Daniel  Siewers,  grandfather  of  W.  Ledoux, 
was  born  on  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas  in  the 
West  Indies  December  4,  1818.  He  was  educated 
at  Nazareth,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  came  to  Salem,  North  Carolina.  Here 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  and  learned  the  cabi- 
net making  trade.  He  took  up  the  manufacture 
of  furniture  and  developed  a  considerable  industry, 
most  of  his  employes  being  his  slaves.  He  con- 
tinued that  business  at  Salem  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  and  then  suspended  business  and  after- 
ward lived  retired  until  his  death  August  4,  1890. 
He  was  married  December  12,  1844,  to  Rebecca 
Paulina  Shober.  She  died  one  year  after  the 
marriage,  leaving  one  son,  Nathaniel  Shober.  For 
his  second  wife  he  married  Hannah  Hanes,  who 
died  December  31,  1912,  leaving  a  daughter 
Gertrude. 

Dr.    Nathaniel    Shober    Siewers     was    born     at 


Winston-Salem  in  November,  1845.  During  his 
youth  he  attended  the  Boys'  School  at  Salem  and 
also  had  the  instruction  ot  private  tutors.  In  1863, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  enlisted  as  a  musician  in 
a  baud  organized  at  Salem  and  went  to  the  front 
with  the  First  North  Carolina  Battalion  of  Sharp 
Shooters.  He  was  with  this  command  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  On  being  released  he  returned 
home  and  put  into  execution  a  plan  and  ambition 
he  had  formulated  while  in  the  army  to  become  a 
physician.  Entering  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania  he  pursued  his 
course  of  studies  until  graduating.  He  also  spent 
two  years  in  universities  in  Europe.  Doctor 
Siewers  then  took  up  practice  at  Salem,  and  by 
reason  of  his  ability  and  attainments  and  his 
family  connections  he  soon  acquired  a  large  prac- 
tice.^ He  was  one  of  the  early  physicians  in  this 
section  to  have  the  advantages  of  a  thorough  col- 
lege education  in  medicine,  aud  his  life  thencefor- 
ward represented  a  large  and  beneficent  service  to 
his  fellow  men.  He  practiced  not  only  in  Salem, 
but  over  a  wide  stretch  of  surrounding  country. 
He  did  not  give  up  iiraetiee  until  his  death  on 
January  12,  1901.  However,  other  affairs  inter-^ 
ested  and  commanded  part  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion. Ho  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  builders 
of  the  Roanoke  &  Soutliern  Railroad,  the  second 
railroad  to  enter  Winston-Salem.  He  was  also 
among  the  organizers  of  the  Wachovia  Loan  & 
Trust  Company.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Pro- 
visional Elders  Conference  of  the  Southern  Prov- 
ince of  the  Moravian  Cliurch  aud  was  a  trustee  of 
Salem  Academy. 

Doctor  Siewers '  widow  now  occupies  the  fine  old 
homestead  which  he  built  on  Church  Street  in 
Winston-Salem.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
residences  of  the  city,  and  is  appropriately  named 
Cedarlmrst.  Doctor  Siewers  married  Eleanor 
Elizabeth  de  Sehweinitz.  She  was  born  in  Salem 
December  23,  1853,  daughter  of  Bishop  EmU 
Adolphus  and  Sophia  Amelia  (Hermann)  de 
Sehweinitz.  Her  maternal  grandparents  were 
Bishop  John  Gottlieb  and  Anna  Paulina  Hermann. 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Siewers  reared  six  children: 
Charles  S.,  Agnes,  wife  of  Henry  A.  Shaffner, 
Ralph  de  S.,  W.  Ledoux,  Ruth,  who  married  W. 
C.  Idol,  and  Grace,  who  remains  at  home  with  her 
mother. 

W.  Ledoux  Siewers  was  born  at  Winston-Salem, 
attended  the  Boys'  School  at  Salem  and  took 
advanced  studies  in  Columbian  University,  now 
the  George  Washington  University,  at  Washing- 
ton, District  of  Columbia.  While  equipped  with  a 
liberal  education  and  well  fitted  to  enter  any  pro- 
fession he  might  have  chosen,  Mr.  Siewers  deter- 
mined to  make  business  his  career.  Returning 
home,  he  entered  the  Arista  cotton  mills  and  as  a 
workman  in  the  operating  department  learned 
every  detail  of  cotton  manufacture.  He  continued 
his  upward  jjorgress  until  in  1905  he  was  made 
president  and  treasurer  of  the  Maline  Mills.  He 
has  done  a  great  deal  and  is  still  doing  much 
to  build  up  and  maintain  the  cotton  manufac- 
turing industry  of  Western  North  Carolina.  Mr. 
Siewers  is  president  and  treasurer  of  the  Carolina 
Mills  and  of  the  Indera  Mills. 

In  1905  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Vance,  a  native 
of  Salem.  Her  parents  were  Joseph  A.  and 
Adelaide  Fogle  Vance.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Siewers 
have  three  children :  Dorothy  Louise,  Marjorie 
Vance  and  Rose  Adelaide.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers   of    the    Home    Moravian    Church,    and    Mr. 


68 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Siewers  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Twin  City 
Club. 

Hakdy  Lucien  Pennell.  In  a  city  like  Wil- 
miugtoii,  where  wealth,  leisure  and  climate  all 
combine  to  make  the  automobile  not  only  a  luxuri- 
ous adjunct  of  daily  life  but  a  business  necessity, 
it  is  not  only  desirable  but  necessary  that  automo- 
bile accommodations  and  supplies  should  be  readily 
available.  To  this  public  demand  Hardy  Lucien 
Fenuell  resjionded  wlien  he  establishefl  his  modern 
garage  and  supply  business,  providing  storage 
facilities  and  acting  as  agent  for  some  of  the 
leading  cars  manufactured.  Mr.  Fennell  is  one 
of  the  reliable  citizens  of  Wilmington,  one  who 
has  had  business  experience  in  other  lines,  and 
he  has  a  wide  and  substantial  acquaintance 
throughout   this   section. 

Hardy  Lucien  Fenuell  was  born  at  Clinton,  in 
Sampson  County,  North  Carolina,  December  6, 
1864.  His  parents  were  Owen  and  Charlotte  C. 
(Beaman)  Fenuell,  both  of  whom  were  born  at 
Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  The  father  was  in 
business  at  Wilmington  as  a  dealer  in  cotton  and 
naval  stores. 

In  one  of  the  first  class  private  schools  of  Wil- 
mington, of  which  there  are  many,  Hardy  L. 
Fennell  was  prepared  for  college  and  later  became 
a  student  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina. 
His  first  business  engagement  was  in  the  capacity 
of  bookkeeper  in  a  large  commercial  house  at 
Wilmington  and  after  one  year  he  became  a  ship- 
jiing  clerk,  but  subsequently  left  that  concern  to 
go  into  business  for  himself  and  for  fifteen  years 
he  carried  on  a  retail  business  in  harness  and 
buggies.  Mr.  Fennell  then  turned  his  attention 
to  life  insurance  and  continued  in  that  field  for 
ten  years.  In  19113  he  established  the  H.  L. 
Fennell  Auto-Storage  Garage,  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  arranged  in  the  city.  Mr.  Fennell  is  the 
agent  here  for  the  Overland,  the  Franklin  and 
the  Peerless  automobiles  and  Federal  Trucks, 
probably  the  most  satisfactory  machines  now  on 
the  market,  and  is  enjoying  a  prosperous  line  of 
trade. 

Mr.  Fennell  was  marrried  to  Miss  Mamie  B. 
James,  who  was  born  March  22,  1871,  at  Green- 
ville, North  Carolina,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J. 
G.  James.  They  have  three  children :  Charlotte 
S.,  James  G.  and  Mamie  James. 

While  not  very  active  in  jiolitics,  Mr.  Fennell 
is  never  unmindful  of  the  demands  of  good  citizen- 
ship and  is  ever  alert  concerning  anything  tliat, 
in  his  judgment,  will  add  to  the  good  name  and 
prosperity  of  his  city.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

Henry  Wesley  Foltz.  One  of  the  oldest  and 
most  interesting  families  of  Forsyth  County  is  rep- 
resented by  Henry  Wesley  Foltz,  real  estate  and 
insurance  man  at  Winston-Salem.  The  Foltz 
family  came  to  this  section  of  North  Carolina  in 
early  colonial  days  and  were  pioneers  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Moravian  community,  and  its  de- 
scendants have  as  a  rule  remained  faithful  to  the 
Moravian  church. 

The  orignial  center  of  settlement  of  the  family 
was  Friedberg  in  Forsyth  County,  where  Henry 
Wesley  Foltz  was  born  July  21,  1853.  His  great- 
grandfather was  Peter  Volz,  as  the  name  was 
spelled  during  the  first  generation.  Peter  Volz 
was  born  in  Alsace,  Germany,  in  1726.  He  immi- 
grated   to    North    Carolina    in    1768,    locating    at 


Friedberg.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Moravian. 
Church.  The  first  Moravian  Church  was  completed 
at  Friedberg  in  1769,  and  Peter  Volz  was  one  of 
the  fourteen  married  men  who  pledged  support  to 
a  resident  minister.  The  church  was  consecrated 
in  March,  1769.  Peter  Volz  acquired  a  large  tract 
of  land  at  Friedberg,  and  was  extensively  engaged 
in  farming  there  until  his  death. 

Jacoli  Foltz,  son  of  Peter  and  grandfather  of 
Henry  W.,  was  born  at  the  Friedberg  community 
in  North  Carolina,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
eventually  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  the  old 
homestead,  where  he  spent  his  youthful  years.  He 
married  a  Miss  Zimmerman,  and  they  reared  a 
large  family  of  cluldren. 

Edward  Foltz,  father  of  Henry  W.,  was  born 
in  Forsyth  County  February  13,  1818.  His  early 
life  was  spent  on  a  farm,  and  he  subsequently 
bought  land  near  the  old  homestead  and  operated 
it  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  Edward 
Foltz  married  Lucinda  Sides.  She  was  born  in 
Forsyth  County,  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Sides,  a 
native  of  the  same  county,  and  the  granddaughter 
of  John  Michael  Seiz,  as  the  name  was  originally 
speUed.  John  M.  Seiz  was  born  in  Wuertemberg, 
Germany,  in  1737,  and  on  coming  to  America  first 
settled  at  Broad  Bay  in  Maine,  in  1759,  but  in 
1770  came  to  North  Carolina,  locating  at  Friedland 
in  Fon^iyth  County.  He  lived  there  until  his  death 
at  a  good  old  age  in  1817.  Jacob  Sides  spent  his 
entire  life  at  Friedland  as  a  farmer.  He  married 
Mary  Spach,  a  granddaughter  of  Adam  Spach,  who 
was  born  in  Alsace,  Germany,  in  1720,  came  to 
North  Carolina  in  1756,  and  was  one  of  the  very 
first  settlers  at  Friedberg.  Mrs.  Jacob  Sides  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five. 

Mrs.  Edward  Foltz  died  when  forty-five  years  of 
age.  She  reared  four  children:  Anna,  Maria, 
Mary  and  Henry  Wesley. 

Henry  Wesley  Foltz  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  rural  schools  of  Forsyth  County.  He 
was  well  trained  in  habits  of  industry  and  he  has 
always  felt  that  he  owes  a  great  deal  to  his  early 
environment  and  the  example  and  precepts  of  his 
parents.  He  learned  farming  as  a  boy,  doing  his 
part  on  the  homestead,  and  before  leaving  home 
he  had  taught  a  term  of  school. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  came  to  Winston, 
entering  the  employ  of  Pfohl  &  Stockton,  as  a 
clerk  in  their  general  store.  Here  he  proved  him- 
self a  competent  and  ambitious  employe  and  in 
time  was  promoted  and  had  charge  of  the  fruit 
and  produce  department.  He  was  connected  with 
that  old  and  substaintial  firm  for  eight  years.  He 
resigned  to  take  a  position  in  a  tobacco  factory. 
He  learned  the  details  of  the  business  in  the  office 
of  the  factory,  and  then  went  on  the  road  as  a 
salesman.  In  1897  Mr.  Foltz  left  the  tobacco 
business  to  engage  in  insurance,  a  line  which  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time.  He  is  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  H.  W.  Spaugh  under  the  firm  name 
of  Foltz  &  Spaugh.  They  deal  extensively  in  city 
and  suburban  property  as  well  as  insurance. 

In  1878  Mr.  Foltz  married  Miss  Carrie  Johnson, 
who  was  born  in  Forsyth  County,  daughter  of  Dr. 
John  L.  and  Eliza  (Gafford)  Johnson,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  Charles  Johnson,  whose  original 
home  was  in  Philadelphia,  from  which  city  he 
moved  to  Virginia  and  then  to  North  Carolina. 
Mrs.  Foltz'  father  practiced  his  profession  as  a 
physician  at  Union  Cross  for  a  number  of  years. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foltz  were  reared  in  tlie  Mo- 
ravian Church  and  still  hold  to  that  faith.  He  is 
affiliated   with   Winston   Lodge   No.   167,   Ancient 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


69 


The  Rock  House 


One  of  the  most  interesting  relies  of  pre-Revolutionary  days  in  the  Piedmont 
section  of  North  Carolina  is  the  Rock  House,  built  by  Adam  Spacli  in  1774. 

Spach  settled  near  the  upper  line  of  Davidson  County  in  1754,  and  soon  made 
friends  with  the  Moravians  who  were  building  the  Village  of  Bethabara  ten  miles 
north  of  his  farm.  He  invited  them  to  preach  at  his  home,  which  they  soon  began 
to  do,  and  this  led  to  the  organization  of  Priedberg  Congregation. 

During  the  Indian  War  of  1759  Spach  and  his  family  took  refuge  in  the  Beth- 
abara stockade,  as  did  many  other  settlers  from  the  surrounding  country.  When 
he  decided  later  to  erect  a  substantial  house  on  his  farm  he  planned  it  of  a  type 
which  could  be  defended  against  quite  an  opposing  force.  It  stands  about  one 
mile  from  Friedberg  Church,  and  is  built  of  uncut  stone,  laid  up  without  mortar, 
except  for  inside  plastering.  It  is  30  by  36  feet,  and  is  of  one  story,  with  full 
basement  and  a  small  attic.  It  was  built  over  a  spring  of  water ;  and  an  outside 
entrance  to  the  basement  made  it  possible  to  drive  in  the  cattle  for  protection  in 
case  of  need.  The  windows  are  of  the  Flemi.sh-Bond  type  and  each  room  has  its 
loopholes,  through  which  the  defenders  could  fire,  and  they  still  remain  in  the 
walls.  The  cut  shows  the  rear  of  the  house,  with  the  loopholes,  and  the  basement 
entrance. 

Adam  Spach  had  five  sons  and  four  daughters;  the  sons  all  married  and  raised 
large  families,  so  there  are  many  descendants  in  North  Carolina.  About  1862 
some  branches  of  the  family  began  to  spell  the  name  Spaugh,  while  others  re- 
tained the  original  form  of  Spach,  but  all  trace  back  to  Adam  Spach  of  the  Rock 
House. 


■70 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  Mr.  Foltz  has  a 
niimber  of  interesting  relics  of  the  earlier  genera- 
tions of  his  family.  At  his  home  is  a  swonl  which 
was  carried  by  an  ancestor  in  one  of  the  earlier 
wars  of  our  nation.  He  also  has  a  canteen"  which 
saw  service  in  the  Civil  war.  Another  article 
found  in  his  collection  recalls  the  old  days  of  the 
feeble  illumination  furnished  by  grease  and  tal- 
low lamps.  This  is  what  is  known  as  a  grease 
lamp,  and  it  was  made  by  his  grandfather.  In  con- 
sists of  an  iron  receptacle  or  vessel,  holding  a 
small  quantity  of  grease.  He  also  has  an  old  one- 
burner  tin  lamp  in  which  either  lard  or  sperm  oU 
was  burned.  Another  object  of  interest  is  a  pair 
of  the  old  fashioned  candle  snuffers.  Along  with 
the  sword  and  canteen  is  another  relic  of  earlier 
years  in  the  shape  of  a  flintlock  revolver,  still  in 
good  condition. 

John  H.  Grubbs  is  a  native  of  Forsyth  County 
and  in  his  mature  years  has  built  up  a  large  busi- 
ness as  a  building  contractor  at  Winston-Salem. 

Mr.  Grubbs  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Middlefort 
Township  of  Forsyth  County,  and  liis  family  have 
been  residents  of  this  section  of  the  state  for  a 
century  or  more.  The  records  of  the  United  States 
census  of  1790  mentioned  the  names  of  George, 
Conrad  and  Elizabeth  Grubbs,  as  heads  of  families 
in  Rowan  County.  It  is  possible  that  Mr.  Grubbs' 
grandfather  was  a  member  of  one  of  these  house- 
holds. Grandfather  Grubbs  was  named  Ensley. 
He  became  a  planter  in  Middlefort  Township  of 
Forsyth  County,  conducted  a  plantation  there,  but 
spent  his  last  years  in  Salem  Cliapel  Township. 
He  married  Nancy  Coffer.  The  only  representa- 
tive of  that  name  in  the  1790  census  was  Joshua 
Coffer  of  Rockingham   County. 

John  Grubbs,  father  of  ,Tohn  H.,  was  born  in 
Middlefort  Township  in  1847,  grew  up  on  a  farm, 
learned  those  lessons  imparted  by  the  local  schools 
of  the  time,  and  in  the  course  of  years  succeeded 
to  the  ownership  of  the  old  homestead.  He  made 
that  the  scene  of  his  successful  efforts  as  a  farmer 
xmtil  1903,  when  he  removed  to  Walkertown,  where 
he  lived  retired  until  his  death  in  1916.  John 
Grubbs  married  Flora  Jones.  She  was  horn  in 
Kernersville  Township  of  Forsyth  County,  a 
daughter  of  Martin  and  Billie  Jones.  She  is  now 
living  at  Walkertown.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Grubbs 
reared  six  children  named  William  F.,  Thomas  F., 
John  H.,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  E.  Jones, 
Josie,  wife  of  D.  L.  Disher,  and  J.  Walter. 

John  H.  Grubbs  lived  on  the  home  farm  until 
he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  The  public  schools 
were  his  source  of  education,  and  he  also  gained 
both  health  and  a  vigorous  constitution  by  his 
experience  as  a  farm  boy.  On  leaving;  the  farm 
he  learned  the  machinist's  trade,  at  which  he  was 
employed  for  ten  years.  He  then  set  up  in  busi- 
ness as  a  building  contractor  and  is  one  of  the 
most  competent  and  reliable  men  in  that  business 
in  Winston-Salem.  In  1910  Mr.  Grubbs  built  a 
large  modern  home  three  miles  north  of  the  city, 
and  lives  there  with  comforts  and  surroundings 
almost  ideal. 

In  1900  he  married  Ida  M.  Cobler.  Mrs.  Grubbs 
was  born  in  Surrey  County,  North  Carolina,  daugh- 
ter of  A.  A.  and  Ellen  VMarshall)  Cobler.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Grubbs  are  members  of  the  Middle 
Spring  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  South,  and  he 
is  one  of  its  stewards.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated 
with  Fairview  Council  No.  19.  Junior  Order  of 
Vnited  American  Mechanics  and  Twin  City  Camp 


Nn.  27,  Woodmen  of  the  World.  In  polities  he  is 
when  national  interests  are  considered  a  republi- 
can, but  in  local  affairs  he  chooses  the  man  for 
the  ofHee  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  best 
..judgment. 

Edtvakd  Knox  Powe  is  an  old  and  experienced 
cotton  mOl  man,  and  for  fully  a  quarter  of  a 
century  has  been  identified  with  the  great  Erwin 
Cotton  Mills  Company  at  West  Durham.  He 
assisted  iri  building  this  extensive  plant,  was  mill 
superintendent  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  1900 
became  general  manager  of  The  Erwin  Cotton 
Mills  Company  at  West  Durham.  The  president 
of  this  conipany  is  B.  N.  Duke,  vice  president 
George  W.  Watts,  and  secretary  and  treasurer  W. 
A.   Erwin. 

Mr.  Powe  came  to  this  and  other  large  business 
responsibilities  from  the  ranks  of  labor  and  serv- 
ice. He  was  born  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 
January  19,  186.^,  a  son  of  William  E.  and  Katie 
Elvira  (Tate)  Powe.  While  his  father  was  a 
farmer,  he  was  almost  constantly  in  public  life, 
was  a  magistrate  of  note,  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  County  Commissioners  of  Burke  County  for 
many  years,  and  identified  with  other  places  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  Edward  Knox  Powe  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  private  schools. 
When  seventeen  years  old  in  1880  he  began  work 
with  Holt,  Gaut  &  Holt  at  Altamahaw,  North 
Carolina,  in  their  stores,  doing  bookkeeping  and 
other  clerical  work,  and  for  twelve  years  was  a 
valuable  assistant  in  these  mills.  Then  in  January, 
1893,  he  became  connected  with  The  Erwin  Cot- 
ton Mills  Company  in  starting  that  plant  at  West 
Durham. 

Besides  his  work  as  general  manager  of  this 
plant  he  is  a  director  of  the  Alpine  Cotton  Mills 
Conipany,  at  Morganton,  North  Carolina,  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Fedelity  Bank  of  Durham,  a  director 
of  the  Bank  of  Harnett. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  West  Durham  schools,  member  of  the  County 
Board  of  Health,  and  for  years  has  been  relied 
upon  for  leadership  and  personal  effectiveness  in 
all  movements  to  raise  the  standards  of  life  among 
mill  people  and  in  securing  the  best  of  modern 
privileges  in  sanitary  conditions  around  the  fac- 
tories and  homes.  At  West  Durham  in  particular 
he  has  done  much  to  give  concrete  reality  to  many 
ideals  of  the  city  beautiful,  and  has  helped  to 
transform  many  bare  spaces  around  the  factories 
and  homes  into  grass  plots  adorned  with  flowers, 
and  has  furnished  some  of  that  atmosphere  which 
is  such  an  important  and  valuable  element  in  pro- 
ducing confpiitment  and  happiness  in  individual 
lives.  Mr.  Powe  owns  considerable  real  estate  and 
has  some  farminsr  interests.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  at  various  times  has 
served  as  vestryman  and  junior  and  senior  warden 
of  Saint  Philip's  Episcopal  Church  at  Durham.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Chapter  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  and  also  of  the 
Society  of  the  Mayflower  Descendants. 

October  14,  1886,  he  married  Claudia  Josephine 
Erwin,  daughter  of  Col.  Joseph  J.  and  Elvira  J. 
(Holt)  Erwin.  They  have  two  children,  Edward 
Knox,  Jr.,  born  October  28,  1888,  and  Oaudia 
Erwin,  born  October  23,  1898.  The  son  is  now  in 
college  at  the  University  of  Virginia. 

L.u>MX  L.  TiLLET.  One  of  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  Durham  Bar,  Laddin  L.  Tilley  in  his 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


71 


eight  years  of  ]iraetice  has  demonstrated  natural 
ability  for  the  law  and  his  talents  have  brought 
him  recognition  and  a  very  satisfactory  clientage. 

He  was  horn  in  Durham  County  April  28,  1881, 
a  son  of  Haywood  and  Louetta  (Vaughan)  TU- 
ley.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  also  operated 
a  corn  mill.  The  son  was  educated  in  the  Carey 
schools,  and  from  1905  to  1909  was  a  student 
both  in  the  law  and  academic  departments  of 
Wake  Forest  College.  On  his  admission  to  the 
bar  he  began  general  practice  at  Durham.  Mr. 
Tilley  is  a  member  of  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church. 

December  22,  1912,  he  married  Florence  Powell 
of  Wake  County,  North  Carolina.  They  have  two 
sons,  Edward  Bruce  and  Norwood  Carlton. 

SnioN  Everett  Koonce,  M.  D.  During  the 
past  fifteen  years,  Dr.  Simon  Everett  Koonce  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Wil- 
mington, and  by  his  devotion  to  the  duties  of  his 
profession,  his  close  study  and  his  pronounced 
skill,  has  won  a  liberal  and  representative  practice. 
His  talents  have  gained  him  recognition  especially 
as  a  sjiecialist  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat,  to  which  field  of  medical  service  he  has 
devoted  his  activities  since  1908. 

Doctor  Koonce  was  born  in  Jones  County, 
North  Carolina,  May  14,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of 
Simon  E.  ajid  Orpah  (Brock)  Koonce.  His  father, 
a  well  known  merchant,  was  prominent  in  public 
affairs  of  .Jones  County,  serving  as  sheriff  for  eight 
years  and  as  county  recorder  for  two  years,  in 
addition  to  holding  numerous  minor  offices.  Simon 
E.  Koonce  was  given  private  instruction  in  his 
youth,  and  after  this  preparation  entered  Trinity 
College  a't  Durham,  North  Carolina,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1890.  For  the  following  three 
years  he  was  a  teacher  in  private  schools,  and 
then  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, from  which  he  graduated  in  1896,  with  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  commenced  his 
professional  duties  at  Polloksville,  Jones  County, 
where  he  remained  until  1902,  in  which  year, 
desiring  a  broader  field,  he  came  to  Wilmington. 
In  1908  he  began  specializing  in  the  diseases  of 
the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and  in  this  branch 
has  won  an  enviable  reputation  and  a  large  and 
representative  practice.  Doctor  Koonce  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  New  Hanover  County  Medical  Society, 
the  North  Carolina  State  Medical  Society,  the 
Southern  Medical  Association  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  He  holds  to  the  highest  of 
ideals  in  his  ju'ofessional  service  and  his  work  is 
characterized  by  a  conscientious  devotion  to  duty 
and  a  display  of  knowledge  that  is  remarkable. 
His  work  has  brought  him  before  the  peojde  of 
Wilmington  in  a  way  that  will  not  soon  be  for- 
gotten. As  a  fraternalist  he  belongs  to  the  Masons 
and  the  Royal  Arcanum.  Doctor  Koonce  has  been 
found  identified  witli  public-spirited  movements, 
and   his  charities  have  been  man}-. 

On  May  10,  1899,  Doctor  Koonce  was  married 
at  Polloksville,  North  Carolina,  to  Miss  Lila  Ward, 
of  that  city,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely:  Lila  Ward,  Edwin  E.,  Donald 
Brock  and  Carroll  Hunter. 

Charles  A.  Vogler  has  been  in  the  practice  of 
law  at  Winston-Salem  long'  enough  to  prove  his 
ability  in  the  different  branches  of  the  profession 
and  to  justify  his  choice  of  that  as  a  vocation. 
He  represents  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  North  Carolina.     He  is  a  branch  of  tliat 


"Vogler  family  that  came  into  Western  North  Caro- 
lina before  the  Revolutionary  war  and  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  Moravian  settlements  in 
Forsyth  and  adjoining  counties.  Various  refer- 
ences to  the  Vogler  name  in  the  pioneer  annals  of 
Western  North  Carolina  will  be  found  on  other 
pages. 

Charles  A.  Vogler  was  born  at  Salem  January 
27,  1886,  a  son  of  Charles  W.  Vogler,  a  native  of 
Salem,  and  a  grandson  of  Elias  and  great-grand- 
son of  John  Vogler.  Elias  Vogler  obtained  a  good 
education  and  became  a  surveyor.  The  plats  of 
Salem  which  he  made  are  still  in  use.  He  was 
also  a  merchant  at  Salem  and  lived  there  until  his 
death. 

Charles  W.  Vogler  grew  up  in  Salem,  attended 
the  Boys'  School,  and  became  a  merchant  there  in 
early  life.  He  married  Elizabeth  D.  Brown,  who 
was  born  at  Davidson  in  Mecklenberg  County, 
North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  William  A.  and 
Sarah  Brown.  She  is  still  living,  with  her  home 
at  Salem.  There  were  two  children:  Charles  A. 
and  Herbert  A. 

Charles  A.  Vogler  after  his  early  training  in  the 
public  schools  of  Winston-Salem  entered  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated Bachelor  of  Arts  iu  1909.  Following  that  he 
became  an  instructor  in  the  University  for  two 
years,  and  in  1912,  having  in  the  meantime  carried 
on  his  law  studies,  was  admitted  to  practice.  In 
order  to  have  the  broadest  possible  qualifications 
for  his  career,  he  then  entered  the  law  department 
of  Columbia  University  at  New  York  City  and 
was  graduated  in  1913.  Since  then  he  has  been  in 
active  practice  at  Winston-Salem. 

On  November  15,  1915,  Mr'  Vogler  married 
Martha  W.  Drake.  She  was  bom  at  GriflSn, 
Georgia,  daughter  of  Roswell  H.  and  Annie  W. 
Drake.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vogler  are  members  of  the 
Home  Moravian  Church  at  Winston-Salem.  He  is 
active  in  the  Winston  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  the  Twin  City  Club,  the  Forsyth 
Country  Club,  and  the  Winston-Salem  Board  of 
Trade. 

As  solicitor  of  the  Municipal  Court  of  Winston- 
Salem  Mr.  Vogler  made  an  excellent  record,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1916  was  elected  judge  of  the  City 
Court,  succeeding  Judge  Stephenson,  who  had 
resigned. 

WiLLUM  Joseph  Griswold  has  been  a  substan- 
tial and  responsible  business  man  of  Durham  for 
thirty  years  in  the  real  estate  and  general  insur- 
ance business,  and  his  name  has  also  been  identi- 
fied with  many  movements  that  reflect  the  public 
spirit  of  the  community. 
I  He  was  born  near  Goldsboro,  North  Carolina, 
August  10,  1858,  son  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Ann 
(Hatch)  Griswold.  His  early  life  was  spent  on 
his  father 's  farm  and  he  was  educated  largely  in 
private  schools.  His  first  business  experience  was 
acquired  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store,  and  in 
1887  he  came  to  Durham  and  since  that  date  has 
been  in  the  insurance  business.  In  1905  he  estab- 
lished the  Griswold  Insurance  and  Real  Estate 
Company,  of  which  he  is  president  and  general 
manager,  and  is  also  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  New  Hope  Realty  Company,  and  formerly 
president  and  did  much  of  the  development  work 
in  the  West  End  Land  Company. 

Much  of  his  time  through  all  these  years  has 
been  taken  up  with  civic  matters.  He  served  two 
years  as  alderman  and  two  years  as  mayor  of 
Durham,   and   was   one   of   the   organizers   of   the 


72 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Chamber  of  Commerce,  which  he  served  as^  vice 
president  aud  director.  He  is  president  of  the 
local  Bankhead  Highvpay  Association,  which  has 
under  its  supervision  a  local  portion  of  the  trans- 
continental highway  between  Wasliington  and 
Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Griswold  was  also  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Country  Club  of  Durham,  is  a 
former  vestryman  of  St.  Philip 's  Episcopal  Church, 
and  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  an  Elk  and  a 
Knight  of  Pythias. 

September  20,  1888,  he  married  Miss  Laura 
Bryan,  of  Kinston,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of 
Dr.  James  P.  and  Mary  (Biddle)  Bryan.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Griswold  have  tliree  children:  William 
Shepard,  who  is  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Na- 
tional Army;  Mary  Bryan  and  James  Bryan. 

John  Edwin  Purcell  is  a  resident  of  Eed 
Springs  in  Robeson  County.  His  is  a  name  spoken 
with  honor  and  respect  in  that  community,  where 
he  has  lived  a  long  and  useful  life  of  three  quarters 
of  a  century.  Mr.  Purcell  is  a  veteran  of  the  great 
war  between  the  states,  and  for  upwards  of  half 
a  century  has  devoted  his  energies  and  mind  to 
agriculture  on  an  estate  that  has  been  part  of  the 
family   possessions   through   several   generations. 

The  old  Purcell  place  where  he  was  born  in 
1842  is  located  ten  miles  northwest  of  Red  Springs 
in  wliat  is  now  Hoke  County.  Hoke  County  was 
formed  in  recent  years  out  of  portions  of  Robesou 
and  Cunilierland   counties. 

This  branch  of  the  Purcell  family  is  of  ancient 
Norman  origin.  The  remote  ancestors  identified 
themselves  with  England  and  Scotland  for  a  num- 
ber of  generations,  until  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  they  immigrated  to 
America  and  located  in  Virginia.  Of  this  Ameri- 
can branch  some  descendants  went  west  and 
established  homes  in  the  Scioto  Valley  of  Ohio. 

It  was  Mr.  Purcell 's  great-grandfather,  Mal- 
colm Purcell,  who  founded  the  family  in  North 
Carolina.  He  made  settlement  here  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  location  was  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Cape  Fear  River  in  Cumberland  County. 
A  man  of  strong  patriotic  sentiments  and  activi- 
ties, he  incurred  the  active  hostility  of  the  Tories 
and  during  the  war  was  killed  by  a  band  of  men 
in  sympathy  with  the  British  government.  His 
son  John  Purcell  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
was  a  small  child  when  brought  to  North  Carolina. 
It  was  he  who  subsecjuently  established  his  home 
on  the  land  above  referred  to,  ten  miles  north  of 
Red  Springs  in  what  was  then  Robeson  County. 
John  Purcell  married  Beatrice   Torrey. 

John  E.  Purcell  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and 
'Harriet  (Molntyre)  Purcell.  His  father  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead,  which  has  been  in  thef 
family  now  for  three  generations. 

On"  this  farm  John  E.  turcell  spent  his  early 
youth.  In  1861,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Confederate  Army.  He 
had  been  a  student  for  a  year  and  a  half  in  the 
University  of  North  Carolina  and  left  the  quiet 
halls  of  that  institution  to  engage  in  a  very 
interesting  and  adventurous  career  on  the  battle- 
fields of  the  South.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
First  Battalion  of  North  Carolina  Heavy  Artillery. 
Most  of  his  service  was  in  Eastern  North  Carolina. 
On  account  of  special  fitness  he  was  assigned  to 
many  tasks  involving  bridge  construction  and  en- 
gineering. Thus  his  service  was  often  one  of 
detached  and  detailed  duty,  and  he  rendered  many 
important  services  to  the  Confederacy.     Mr.  Pur- 


cell was  also  engaged  in  the  strenuous  defense  of 
Fort  Fisher  at  Wilmington,  and  was  one  of  the 
brave  and  valiant  defenders  that  kept  that  post  in 
spite  of  the  terriiic  and  long  continued  fire  of  an 
immense  Federal  Heet.  When  Fort  Fisher  fell 
he  was  fortunate  to  escape  capture. 

After  the  war  he  reentered  the  University  of 
Chapel  Hill  in  1866  and  continued  his  work  there 
until  graduating  in  1868.  Though  liberally  edu- 
cated, Mr.  Purcell  chose  agriculture  rather  than 
a  profession  and  soon  settled  on  the  old  home- 
stead to  take  up  farming.  His  career  as  a  farmer 
covers  fifty  years  and  has  brought  him  the  sub- 
stantial competence  which  he  now  enjoys.  He 
still  owns  a  part  of  the  original  plantation  where 
he  was  born  and  has  developed  it  as  a  splendid 
farm. 

Chiefly  to  accommodate  his  children  with  better 
educational  advantages  he  moved  his  residence  to 
Red  Springs  in  1898.  Mr.  Purcell  was  honored  by 
his  fellow  citizens  by  election  in  1887  to  the  State 
Senate  as  representative  of  Robeson  and  Colum- 
bus counties. 

Mr.  Purcell  married  Miss  Margaret  Cornelia 
MacCallum.  They  have  a  fine  family  of  five 
children,  four  daughters  and  one  son.  The 
daughters  are  Mrs.  Ina  Purcell  MacEachern,  Mrs. 
Hattie  Bethea,  Miss  Louise  Purcell,  Mrs.  Margaret 
K.  Smith.  The  son,  Rev.  John  Edwin  Purcell,  Jr., 
has  distinguished  himself  as  a  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  though  still  young  in  years 
He  was  liberally  educated,  having  attended  the 
Quackeubush  School  at  Laurinburg,  and  is  a 
graduate  of  Davidson  College  and  of  the  Union 
Theological   Seminary   of   Richmond,   Virginia. 

William  C.  Greene,  M.  D.  Now  living  retired 
at  Wilkesboro,  Doctor  Greene  has  had  a  long  and 
notable  career  both  as  a  physician  and  as  a  dentist. 
He  practiced  the  profession  upwards  of  sixty 
years.  Among  other  distinctions  he  is  a  surviving 
veteran  of  the  great  war  between  the  states  and 
did  his  duty  gallantly  and  well  as  an  officer  in  the 
Confederate  army. 

He  was  born  on  a  plantation  in  Alexander  Coun- 
ty, North  Carolina,  December  3,  1842.  His  grand- 
father was  a  Massachusetts  Yankee,  but  came  to 
North  Carolina  and  bought  a  farm  eight  miles  east 
of  Rutherfordton,  where  he  had  his  slaves  and  cul- 
tivated his  land  according  to  the  southern  fashion. 
He  lived  there  until  his  death.  John  B.  Greene, 
father  of  Doctor  Greene,  was  born  on  a  plantation 
in  Rutherford  County,  North  Carolina,  grew  up  on 
a  farm,  subsequently  returned  to  Alexander  Coun- 
ty and  was  there  a  merchant  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  Cromwell.  He  also  bought  land  and 
engaged  in  farming.  He  owned  a  number  of 
slaves  and  with  them  operated  three  separate 
farms.  When  the  war  closed  there  were  still 
twenty-two  slaves  on  his  plantations.  He  told 
them  they  were  free,  but  they  refused  to  leave 
him  for  several  years,  and  some  of  them  hung 
around  the  plantation  and  their  beloved  master 
for  years.  .Tohn  B.  Greene  died  when  nearly  eighty 
years  old.  His  wife,  who  was  named  Jane  Redman, 
was  born  in  Iredell  County,  North  Carolina,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  ninety-one.  Her  parents  were 
Hosea  and  Lueretia  (Williams)  Redman.  There 
were  five  children:  Lueretia  Adeline,  William  C, 
Martha  Jane,  Emma  and  Arthur  Judson. 

Doctor  Greene  grew  up  on  the  old  family  plan- 
tation and  had  liberal  advantages  both  at  home 
and  in  the  schools  of  the  state.  He  attended  dis- 
trict school  and  was  a  student  at  Wake  Forest  Col- 


^  &  ■  ^UiC^^T^UL^ 


PUBLIC  ...^-    --I 


b 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


73 


lege  when  in  1861  the  war  broke  out.  He  raised 
a  company  of  his  friends  and  neighbors  and  this 
was  mustered  in  as  Company  K  of  the  7th  Eegi- 
ment,  North  Carolina  Troops.  Given  a  commission 
as  second  lieutenant,  he  went  with  his  command 
through  its  long  and  arduous  service  and  was  in 
the  war  almost  to  the  end.  Several  times  his 
clothing  was  pierced  by  bullets,  but  he  escaped 
actual  wounds  and  was  never  captured  nor  sur- 
rendered. At  the  time  of  the  final  surrender  it 
chanced  that  he  was  home  on  a  furlough. 

Doctor  Greene  also  had  some  part  in  the  restora- 
tion of  law  and  order  during  the  reconstruction 
period.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the  war  a  gang 
of  outlaws,  most  of  them  natives  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  but  under  the  leadership  of  an 
ex-federal  soldier,  undertook  to  terrorize  the  in- 
habitants of  Alexander  and  the  adjoining  counties. 
The  headquarters  was  a  log  house  on  an  eminence 
in  Wilkes  County.  It  bore  the  appropriate  name 
of  Fort  Hamby.  One  time  the  gang  visited  the 
Greene  homestead.  The  family  was  pirepared  and 
gave  them  a  warm  reception  and  the  outlaws  re- 
treated after  one  of  their  number  had  been 
wounded.  Doctor  Greene  was  thoroughly  aroused 
and  got  together  a  number  of  the  old  soldiers  in 
the  neighborhood,  went  in  pursuit  and  followed 
the  gang  to  the  very  doors  of  their  stronghold. 
This  practically  put  an  end  to  their  depredations. 

Doctor  Greene 's  first  ambition  was  to  become  a 
lawyer.  He  attended  Judge  Pearson 's  Law  School 
at  Rockford,  but  soon  afterward  on  account  of  his 
father 's  disability  returned  to  take  charge  of  the 
farm.  He  then  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Doctor  Hackett  and  subsequently  attended  medical 
lectures  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Doctor 
Greene  began  practice  at  Wilkesboro  and  attended 
a  large  clientage  for  fifteen  years.  He  subsequent- 
ly studied  dentistry  in  the  Maryland  Dental  Col- 
lege at  Baltimore,  and  after  being  qualified  he 
gave  his  time  to  the  practice  of  that  profession  in 
Wilkesboro  and  continued  it  many  years  until  he 
finally  retired. 

Doctor  Greene  was  married  July,  1865,  to  Laura 
Gray.  She  was  born  in  Davie  County,  North 
Carolina,  May  21,  1841.  Her  father,  Joseph 
Gray,  was  also  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and 
losing  his  father  when  quite  young,  he  went  with 
his  mother  and  his  brothers  to  Davie  County.  His 
mother  spent  her  last  years  there.  After  his 
marriage  in  Davie  County,  Mrs.  Greene's  father 
moved  to  Yadkin  County,  but  during  the  war  sold 
his  farm  and  bought  the  Governor  Stokes  farm  in 
Wilkes  County.  On  that  plantation  he  spent  the 
rest  of  his  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  ninety-six. 
He  married  Mary  Kelley,  who  was  born  near 
Rockford  in  Surry  County,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Coson)  Kelley.  Mrs.  Greene's 
mother  died  when  about  fifty  years  of  age.  Her 
children  were  five  daughters  and  one  son:  Wil- 
liam, Elizabeth,  Juliet,  Mary  Lou,  Laura  and  Jo- 
sephine. 

Doctor  and  Mrs.  Greene  had  two  children,  both 
now  deceased,  Herbert  and  Ida.  Herbert  attended 
public  schools  at  Wilkesboro,  prepared  for  college 
under  private  tuition,  and  then  took  the  literary 
course  in  the  I'niversity  of  North  Carolina.  He 
studied  law  under  Colonel  Folk  in  Yadkin  Valley 
Law  School  and  on  being  admitted  to  the  bar  took 
up  active  practice  at  Wilkesboro  and  was  one  of 
the  very  successful  lavpyers  there.  He  also  served 
a  term  in  the  State  Legislature.  Herbert  Greene 
married  Davie  Willbern.  At  his  death  he  left  four 
children:     Gray,  Louise,  Mary  and  Ida. 


Doctor  Greene's  daughter,  Ida,  was  educated  in 
the  Greensboro  College,  was  especially  talented  in 
niusic^  and  became  a  teacher  of  that  art.  She  mar- 
ried Robert  Stafford,  and  at  her  death  left  one 
daughter,  Ida.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Greene  are  mem- 
bers  of   the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Hon.  John  Fr.\nklin  Griffith  is  one  of  the 
veteran  business  men  of  Winston-Salem.  Taking 
his  experience  as  clerk,  partner  and  individual 
proprietor  he  has  put  in  more  than  forty  years 
as  a  merchant,  and  has  sold  goods  to  two  genera- 
tions of  people  in  that  section  of  the  state.  His 
place  in  the  community  is  also  one  of  heightened 
esteem  on  account  of  his  long  and  varied  partici- 
pation in  public  affairs.  He  has  almost  con- 
tinuously been  connected  ofBcially  and  as  a 
worker  with  some  of  the  public  organizations  and 
institutions. 

The  GriflSth  family  has  long  been  identified  with 
North  Carolina  and  there  is  extant  a  puljlieation 
showing  the  genealogy  of  this  branch  of  the  Grif- 
fiths, tracing  the  North  Carolina  members  of  the 
family  to  Wales.  For  a  number  of  years  the 
family  lived  in  Rowan  County,  North  Carolina,  and 
from  there  the  grandfather  removed  to  Davie 
County,  buying  a  farm  in  Farmington  Township, 
where  he  spent  his  last  years.  The  father  of  the 
Winston-Salem  merchant  was  Charles  Frank  Grif- 
fith, a  native  of  Rowan  County  but  reared  in 
Davie  County.  After  reaching  manhood  he 
bought  a  farm  in  Farmington  Township  of  Davie 
County,  and  is  still  living  there,  being  now  at  the 
venerable  age  of  ninety-one  years.  He  married 
Sarah  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Davie  County  and 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-one.  She  was  the  mother 
of  two  sons:  John  Franklin  and  William  Wallace. 

John  Franklin  GrifSth  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Farmington  Township  of  Forsyth  County  May  23, 
18.52.  With  the  farm  as  his  early  environment  he 
had  the  instruction  afforded  by  the  rural  schools 
and  he  also  attended  the  school  at  Winston  taught 
by  Col.  A.  B.  Gorrell. 

On  leaving  school  he  found  an  opening  in  the 
commercial  life  of  Winston  as  clerk  with  the  old 
firm  of  Hodgin  &  Sullivan.  He  remained  with 
that  organization  seven  years.  Having  mastered 
the  details  of  merchandising  and  having  acquired 
a  modest  capital  through  his  thrift,  he  then 
engaged  in  a  partnership  with  Frank  Moore,  under 
the  firm  name  Griffith  &  Moore.  They  conducted 
a  general  store  in  the  building  formerly  occupied 
by  the  veteran  merchant  S.  A.  Ogburn,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  West  Fourth  and  Trade  streets. 
After  four  years  there  the  firm  closed  out  and 
Mr.  Griffith  then  bought  the  stock  and  good  will 
of  the  Alliance  Store,  also  on  Trade  Street.  In 
that  location  he  has  continued  in  business  ever 
since  and  his  store  and  his  individual  name  stand 
as  a  guaranty  of  reliability  and  efficient  service. 

Mr.  Griffith  served  several  years  as  president  of 
the  Piedmont  Savings  Bank  until  that  institution 
was  merged  with  the  People  's  Bank.  He  has  been 
mayor  of  Winston,  for  twenty  years  has  been  a 
member  of  the  County  Board  of  Education  and 
chairman  of  the  hoard,  was  county  treasurer  six 
years,  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Man- 
agers of  the  Reformatory.  He  and  his  wife  have 
long  been  identified  with  the  Centenary  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Griffith  has  been  one  of  the 
stewards  of  the  church  for  nearly  thirty  years  and 
has  been  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  School 
equally  as  long.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with 
Salem  Lodge  No.  36,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 


74 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Fellows,   of  which   he   is  past   grand  master,   and 
with  Salem  Encampment  No.  20. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  married-  Mary 
Virginia  Miller.  Mrs.  Griffith  was  born  in  David- 
son County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  John  and 
Eliza  Miller.  Mr.  Griffith  takes  proper  pride  in 
his  household  of  children,  seven  having  grown  up 
under  liis  roof  and  having  benefited  by  the  ample 
provision  he  has  made  for  them.  Their  names  are 
Oscar,  Pearl,  Sally,  William  Wallace,  Myrtle,  John 
Wesley  and  Mary.  Oscar  married  Mabel  Johnson, 
their  three  children  being  Robert,  Frank  and 
Geraldine.  Pearl  is  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Lentz  and 
has  a  daughter,  Gwendolen.  Sally  married  John 
F.  Ogburn,  and  has  a  son  John  F.,  Jr.  The  son, 
William  Wallace,  is  also  married  and  has  a  daugh- 
ter, Mary  Virginia.  Myrtle  is  the  wife  of  W.  Bay 
Johnson,  their  two  children  being  W.  Eay,  Jr., 
and  John  Griffith.  Mary  is  the  wire  of  David  S. 
Beid,   Jr. 

Grover  Clevel.\nd  Lovill.  Since  colonial 
times  the  family  of  Lovill  with  their  connections, 
the  Franklins  and  the  Taliaferros,  have  been  iden- 
tified with  Surry  County  and  particularly  with 
that  section  known  as  Stuarts  Creek  Township. 
Grover  Cleveland  Lovill,  a  successful  young  busi- 
ness man  of  Mount  Airy,  represents  the  present 
generations  of  these  well  known  names. 

His  Lovill  ancestry  goes  back  to  County  Kent, 
England,  which  was  the  native  place  of  Edward 
Lovill.  Edward  and  three  brothers  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  colonial  times.  Two  of  them  settled  in 
New  York,  one  in  Virginia,  while  Edward  was 
the  pioneer  of  Surry  County,  North  Carolina.  He 
was  here  before  the  Revolution  and  when  that 
war  came  on  commanded  a  company  of  colonists 
in  the  struggle  for  independence.  He  married  a 
Miss  Carmichael. 

Their  son,  James  LovUl,  was  born  on  a  farm 
that  bordered  the  Yadkin  in  Surry  County  and 
subsequently  bought  land  on  Grassy  Creek  in 
Shoals  Township  and  was  busy  with  its  cultiva- 
tion and  management  until  upwards  of  eighty 
years  of  age  when  he  joined  a  son  living  near 
Centerview,  Missouri,  and  there  spent  his  last 
days.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Sally 
Poindexter,  who  was  of  the  early  French  Huguenot 
stock  in  this  part  of  North  Carolina.  She  spent 
her  last  days  on  a  farm  in  Grassy  Creek  Town- 
ship. They  reared  four  children  named  Thomas, 
Edward,  William  and  James  Alexander. 

James  Alexander  Lovill,  grandfather  of  Grover 
C,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Surry  County,  liought 
land  in  Grassy  Creek,  Shoals  Township,  and  culti- 
vated it  with  the  aid  of  his  slaves.  When  the 
war  came  on  he  entered  the  Confederate  army 
as  a  member  of  Captain  Gilmer's  Company  of 
the  Twenty-first  Regiment  North  Carolina  Troops. 
He  went  to  the  front  and  got  up  from  a  sick 
bed,  where  he  lay  ill  with  the  measles,  to  partici- 
pate in  the  battle  of  Manassas.  After  that  fight 
he  suffered  a  relapse,  and  a  few  days  later  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-six. 

Francis  Jones,  maternal  grandfather  of  Grover 
Lovill,  served  four  years  in  the  Confederate  army, 
being  in  a  Virginia  regiment.  After  the  war  he 
settled  in  Stuarts  Creek  Township  and  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six. 

James  Alexander  Lovill  married  Betty  Frank- 
lin, and  with  her  the  other  two  families  mentioned 
above  come  into  this  record.  She  was  born  in 
Stuart's  Creek  Township  of  Surry  County,  a  daugh- 
ter  of    Wiley    and   Mary    (Taliaferro)    Franklin. 


Mary  Taliaferro  was  a  daughter  of  Charles  Talia- 
ferro who  married  a  Burrough.  Charles  Taliaferro 's 
father,  Dr.  John  Taliaferro,  was  probably  a  native 
of  Albemarle  County,  Virginia,  and  as  a  surgeon 
he  administered  to  the  w-ounded  at  the  battle  of 
Guilford  Coutt  House  in  the  Eevolution.  A  short 
time  before  the  Eevolution  he  had  come  to  Surry 
County  and  bought  a  farm  in  Stuart 's  Creek  Town- 
ship where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days.  Wiley 
Franklin  was  a  son  of  Shadrach  and  Judith 
(Taliaferro)  Franklin.  Shadrach  Franklin  was  a 
son  of  Bernard  and  Mary  (Cleveland)  Franklin, 
and  a  brother  of  Governor  Jesse  Franklin.  Mary 
Cleveland  was  a  sister  of  Col.  Benjamin  Cleveland 
who  led  a  regiment  at  King's  Mountain.  Ber- 
nard Franklin 's  father  was  John  Franklin,  a 
native  of  Virginia.  Jesse  Franklin  served  as 
captain  in  the  Eevolution  and  it  is  said  that  at  the 
battle  of  King's  Mountain  his  colonel  became  ex- 
hausted and  he  h>d  tlie  regiment  in  its  last  charge. 
He  was  later  governor  of  North  Carolina  and  was 
also  United  States  senator  for  sixteen  years,  dur- 
ing a  part  of  which  time  he  was  president  pro 
tem  of  the  Senate.  One  of  the  Franklin  family 
owned  and  occupied  the  land  where  Grover  C. 
■  Lovill  was  born.  Betty  (Franklin)  Lovill  died 
about   1868. 

Walter  Wiley  Lovill,  father  of  Grover  C,  was 
the  only  child  of  his  parents  to  grow  up.  He 
was  born  at  the  foot  of  Pilot  Mountain  in  Surry 
County  September  19,  IS-S;!.  He  made  his  home 
with  his  grandfather,  Wiley  Franklin,  until  the 
age  of  twenty  and  then  spent  four  years  in  Ten- 
nessee. Eeturning  to  North  Carolina  he  bought 
the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  in  his  grandfather's 
estate  and  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  there  until  the  present  time.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-four  he  married  Martha  Eliza- 
beth Jones,  who  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Vir- 
ginia, daugliter  of  Francis  and  Mary  (Copeland) 
Jones.  Walter  W.  Lovill  and  wife  have  reared 
eight  children :  Wiley  Franklin,  James  Walter, 
William  Shadrach,  Joseph  Poindexter,  Grover 
Cleveland,  Eoliert  Jones,  Mary  Elizabeth  and  Sally 
Matilda.  Of  these  Joseph  P.  is  now  deceased. 
Their  mother  is  an  active  member  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Baptist  church. 

Grover  Cleveland  Lovill  was  born  on  the  old 
Franklin  farm  in  Stuart's  Creek  Township  Decem- 
ber 2,  1884.  He  acquired  his  early  education  in 
rural  schools  and  subsequently  attended  Woodlawn 
Academy  in  Virginia.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
began  his  business  career  as  clerk  in  a  general 
store  at  Mount  Airy.  Then  in  190.5,  having  at- 
tained his  majority,  he  took  up  the  brokerage 
business  which  was  continued  until  1910,  when  he 
enlarged  the  scope  of  his  enterprise  and  became 
a  wholesale  grocery,  feed  and  produce  dealer. 
That  business  he  has  built  up  to  large  and  suc- 
cessful proportions. 

Mr.  Lovill  also  takes  an  active  part  in  social 
and  civic  affairs  at  Mount  Airy.  He  is  a  member 
of  Granite  City  Lodge,  No.  322,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons;  Mount  Airy  Chapter,  No.  68, 
Eoyal  Arch  Masons;  Piedmont  Commandery,  No. 
6,  Knight  Templars,  and  Oasis  Temple  of  the  Mys- 
tic Shrine  at  Charlotte.  As  a  voter  he  is  a  demo- 
crat and  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Town  Commissioners  and  mayor  pro  tem. 

JoHX  Joseph  Bruner  attained  the  highest  rank 
in  the  profession  of  journalism  and  letters.  The 
editors  acknowledge  their  indebtedness  to  Beulah 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


75 


Stewart   Moore    for   the    following    sketch    of   his 
career. 

John  Joseph  Bruner  was  born  in  Rowan  County 
on  the  Yadkin  River  about  seven  miles  from  Salis- 
bury. He  was  the  only  son  of  Henry  Bruner,  a 
gunsmith  by  trade,  and  the  third  generation  of 
the  name — the  first  Henrieh  having  immigrated  to 
America  in  1731  with  John  Jacob  Bruner,  pre- 
sumably his  father,  as  he  was  then  a  mere  lad  of 
less  than  sixteen  years  of  age.  Whether  or  not 
the  trade  of  gimsmith  was  handed  down  from 
father  to  son  is  not  positively  known,  but  a  few  of 
the  Bruner  flint  lock  rifles  are  still  in  existence 
and  are  evidently  the  work  of  Henry,  the  father 
of  the  Henry  named  above.  From  wills  dated  1769 
and  1803  respectively,  it  is  known  however,  that 
they  were  landowners  and  men  of  substance. 

On  September  29,  1814,  Henry  Bruner  married 
Edith,  youngest  daughter  of  Col.  West  Harris  of 
Montgomery  County  and  his  wife,  Edith  Ledbet- 
ter  of  Anson.  Colonel  Harris  was  a  native  of 
Virginia,  coming  to  North  Carolina  with  his  fa- 
ther, West  Harris,  Sr.,  who  was  first  a  citizen  of 
Granville  County — "serving  there  as  a  vestry -man 
of  St.  .John 's  Parish  in  1746  and  in  1756  he  is 
one  who  long  refused  to  qualify  as  a  justice  of 
the  peace. ' '  Subsequently  he  settled  with  his 
family  in  that  section  now  known  as  Montgomery. 
The  history  of.  this  family  is  of  interest,  as  it 
covers  a  period  of  more  than  200  years,  going 
back  to  the  first  settlement  of  the  country.  The 
ancestor  of  the  North  Carolina  branch  was  one 
Thomas  Harris,  the  date  of  whose  will,  as  record- 
ed in  Isle  of  Wight  County,  Virginia,  is  October 
ye  9th,  1688,  and  that  of  his  son  Edward,  dated 
March  2.5,  1734.  Both  father  and  son  leave  land 
granted  them  by  patent  to  their  posterity.  West 
Harris,  Sr.,  was  the  son  of  Edward  and  father  of 
Col.  West  Harris,  who  "on  the  breaking  out  of 
hostilities  with  the  mother  country,  enlisted  in 
the  North  Carolina  Line  of  the  Continental  Army 
— Ninth  Regiment — as  Lieutenant,  and  notvrith- 
standing  his  youth,  by  patriotism,  zeal  and  intre- 
pidity, was  advanced  before  the  end  of  the  war,  to 
the  rank  of  Colonel.  After  the  peace  he  repre- 
sented his  fellow  citizens  for  a  number  of  years  in 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  State.  And  such  was 
the  confidence  of  the  people  in  his  probity  and  in- 
telligence, that  any  ofBce  in  their  gift  was  at  his 
command.  In  the  private  walks  of  life  he  was 
equally  esteemed :  he  was  benevolent  to  the  poor, 
and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings  with  the  world." 
(Western  Carolinian,  August  7,  1826.)  He  died 
July  19,  1826,  aged  sixty-nine  years  and  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  private  burial  grounds  on  his  estate 
near  the  mouth  of  Beaverdam  Creek. 

Here  for  more  than  a  century  had  rested  the 
bodies  of  members  of  the  Harris  families,  but  ow- 
ing to  the  fact  that  when  the  big  dam  on  the  Yad- 
kin near  Badin,  then  under  construction — 1916 — 
was  finished  and  the  waters  turned  on,  practically 
submerging  ten  thousand  acres  of  land,  this  among 
others,  would  become  the  bed  of  a  vast  body  of 
water.  In  consequence  thereof,  steps  were  at  once 
taken  by  descendants  to  exhume  the  remains. 

During  his  life  Mr.  Bruner  had  seen  personally 
to  the  care  of  this  sacred  spot  and  had  made  pro- 
visions for  its  upkeep  after  his  demise,  hence  it  was 
deemed  but  fitting  that  the  ashes  of  his  beloved 
dead  should  lie  with  his  in  the  old  English  Ceme- 
tery, there  to  await  the  Resurrection  Morn. 

The  exhuming  of  these  remains,  of  which  seven 
in  number  were  brought  to   Salisl)ury,  goes  back 


into  the  history  of  the  family  in  North  Carolina 
]iearly  two  hundred  years,  the  eldest  being  West 
Harris,  Sr.,  born  August  13,  1715,  died  May  14, 
1795. 

To  Henry  Bruner  and  Edith,  his  wife,  two  chil- 
dred  were  Ijorn,  Salina  Williamson,  first  and  only 
daughter,  August  4,  1815,  and  .John  .Joseph,  March 
12,  1817.  When  the  latter  was  a  little  over  two 
years  old,  his  father  died  and  his  mother  with  her 
two  children  i-eturned  to  her  father's  residence  in 
Montgomery. 

In  1825  John  .loseph  came  to  Salisbury,  under 
the  care  of  the  Hon.  Charles  Fisher,  father  of  Col. 
Charles  F.  Fisher  who  fell  at  the  Battle  of  Bull 
Run.  His  first  year  in  Salisbury  was  spent  in  at- 
tending the  school  taught  by  Henry  Allemand  and 
was  about  all  the  schooling  of  a  regular  style  he 
ever  received,  the  remainder  of  his  education  being 
of  a  practical  kind,  gleaned  at  the  case  and  press 
of  a  printing  office. 

When  nine  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  printing 
office  of  the  Western  Carolina,  then  under  the 
editorial  control  of  the  Hon.  Philo  White,  late  of 
Whitestown,  New  York.  In  1830,  the  Carolinian 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Hon.  Burton  Craige, 
and  then  into  the  hands  of  Maj.  John  Beard,  late 
of  Florida,  Mr.  Bruner  continuing  in  the  ofiSce  until 
1836.  In  1839,  M.  C.  Pendleton  of  Salisbury  and 
Mr.  Bruner  purchased  the  Watchman,  a  whig 
and  anti-nullification  paper,  established  in  July, 
1832,  by  Hamilton  C.  Jones,  Esq.,  to  support 
Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  and  combat  the  nullifica- 
tion movement  of  that  time,  started  in  South 
Carolina  under  the  inspiration  of  .John  C.  Cal- 
houn and  others  of  the  distinguished  states- 
men of  the  Commonwealth.  Under  the  above 
firm  name  the  paper  was  continued  for  three  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  the  junior  partner  with- 
drew for  the  purpose  of  collecting  a  considerable 
amount  due  the  firm  and  paying  off  accummulated 
debts.  This  was  accomplished  in  the  course  of 
eighteen  months,  during  which  time  the  paper  was 
continued  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Pendle- 
ton as  editor  and  proprietor. 

In  1843  Mr.  Bruner  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Ann  Kincaid,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Kincaid,  Esq. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Bruner  was  Clarissa  Harlowe 
Brandon,  daughter  of  Col.  James  Brandon  of  Revo- 
lutionary fame,  close  kinsman  of  Matthew  Bran- 
don and  the  Lockes.  Colonel  Brandon  was  the 
son  of  William  Brandon  who  settled  in  Thyatira 
as  early  as  1752,  and  whose  wife  was  a  Miss 
Cathey  of  that  region.  For  nearly  a  century  the 
name  of  Brandon  was  noted  all  through  the  Yad- 
kin and  Catawba  valleys.  It  has  been  conspic- 
uous in  the  fights  of  I?amsom's  Mill,  Charlotte, 
King's  Mountain,  Cowpens  and  Cowan's  Ford. 
It  is  said  that  in  some  emergency  during  the  Revo- 
lution Col.  Francis  Locke  raised  a  strong  com- 
pany of  minute  men,  composed  mainly  of  Bran- 
dons and  Lockes.  They  came  originally  from  Eng- 
land, settled  in  Pennsylvania,  are  found  early  in 
Virginia  and  are  among  the  first  immigrants  to 
this  section,  one  date  going  back  to  1730. 

Having  married,  Mr.  Bruner  prepared  for  his 
life  work  by  repurchasing  the  Watchman  in  part- 
nership with  Samuel  W.  .Tames  in  1844.  After 
six  successful  years  this  partnership  was  dissolved 
and  Mr.  Bruner,  becoming  sole  owner  and  editor, 
continued  to  publish  it  until  the  spring  of  1865, 
when  Stoneman  's  raiders  took  possession  while 
here  on  the  12th  and  13th  of  April,  and  after 
jirintiug  an  army   sheet,  turned  the  office  upside 


76 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


down,  wrecked  the  principal  press  and  destroyed 
all  they  could.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  Federal 
army  after  the  surrender,  the  commander  took 
possession  of  it,  detailed  printers  from  the  army 
to  gather  up  type  enough  to  print  a  daily  news 
slip  and  held  possession  until  about  the  4th  of  July, 
■when  they  turned  over  the  shattered  establishment 
to  the  owner. 

Three  years  later,  Lewis  Hanes,  Esq.,  of  Lex- 
ington, purchased  an  interest  in  the  paper  and 
it  was  called  the  Watchman  and  Old  North  State. 
Ill  health  caused  Mr.  Bruner  to  retire  from  busi- 
ness for  a  couple  of  years,  but  his  mission  was  to 
conduct  a  paper,  so  in  1871  he  repurchased  it,  and 
thereafter  it  made  its  regular  appearance  weekly 
until  his  death.  At  this  date  the  Watchman  was 
the  oldest  newspaper  and  Mr.  Bruner  the  oldest 
editor  in  North  Carolina.  He  was  one  of  the  few 
remaining  links  binding  the  ante-bellum  journalist 
with  those  of  the  present  day.  The  history  of 
Mr.  Bruner  's  editorial  life  is  a  history  of  the  prog- 
ress of  the  state.  He  was  contemporary  with  Ed- 
ward J.  Hale,  ex-Governor  Holden,  Wm.  J.  Yates 
and  others  of  the  older  editors.  When  he  began 
the  publication  of  the  Watchman,  there  was  not  a 
daily  newspaper  or  a  railroad  in  tlie  state.  In  1840 
the  Watchman  advertised  the  Great  Western  Stage 
Line  which  left  Salisbury  at  5  o'clock  A.  M.  one 
day  and  arrived  at  Asheville  at  8  P.  M.  on  the 
following  day.  The  advertisement  under  the  cut 
of  an  old-fashioned  stage  coach  read,  "For  speed 
could  not  be  surpassed."  At  the  time  of  his 
death  no  one  living  in  Salisbury  and  few  elsewhere 
in  the  state  had  such  an  extensive  personal  ac- 
quaintance and  knowledge  of  men  and  events  in 
the  early  years  of  the  last  century.  He  sat  under 
the  preaching  of  every  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  since  its  organization — Doctor  Freeman, 
Mr.  Rankin,  Mr.  Espy,  Doctor  Sparrow,  Mr. 
Frontis  (by  whom  he  was  married^  Mr.  Baker, 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Rumple,  who  was  his  pastor  and 
friend  for  more  than  thirty  years.  He  was  a 
scholar  in  the  Sunday  school  under  its  first  super- 
intendent and  was  afterwards  a  teacher  and  super- 
intendent himself.  The  Hon.  Philo  White,  his 
early  guardian,  was  a  high-toned  gentleman  of 
the  Presbyterian  faith  and  so  impressed  himself 
upon  his  youthful  ward  that  he  chose  him  as  his 
model,  emulated  his  example  and  held  his  memory 
in  cherished  veneration  to  the  end  of  his  life.  At 
seventeen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Bruner  joined  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Salisbury,  and  in  1846  he 
was  ordained  a  ruling  elder  and  continued  to  serve 
in  that  capacity  through  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Ever  active  and  useful  in  its  ecclesiastical 
courts  his  opinions  were  often  sought  and  always 
received  with  deference  and  respect.  The  family 
altar  was  established  in  his  household  and  he 
reared  his  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord.  His  marriage  was  abundantly  blessed 
by  a  faithful,  diligent  and  affectionate  wife,  who 
bore  him  twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  preceded 
him  to  rest. 

Mr.  Bruner  died  after  a  lingering  illness,  March 
23,  1890.  His  end  was  peace.  As  he  gently  passed 
away — so  gently  that  it  was  ditiicult  to  tell  when 
life  ended  and  immortality  began — a  brother  elder 
by  his  bedside  repeated  the  lines, 

' '  How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies ! 
When  sinks  a  weary  soul  to  rest; 
How  mildly  beam  the  closing  eye. 

How   gently   leaves  the   expiring  breath !  ' ' 


His  memory  must  ever  shine  out  as  one  of  the 
purest,  sweetest,  best  elements  of  the  past.  His 
character  was  singularly  beautiful  and  upright,  and 
his  life  an  unwritten  sermon. 

He  was  emphatically  a  self-made  man.  His 
learning  he  acquired  by  his  own  unaided  efforts, 
his  property  he  earned  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow 
and  his  reputation  he  achieved  by  prudence,  wis- 
dom and  faithfulness  in  all  the  duties  of  life.  By 
his  paper  he  helped  thousands  of  men  to  honorable 
and  lucrative  office,  but  he  never  helped  himself. 

After  tlie  war  he  adhered  with  unwavering  fidel- 
ity to  the  democratic  party  which  he  believed  was 
the  only  hope  and  refuge  of  the  true  friends  of 
liberty  anywhere  in  America;  and  he  never  fal- 
tered in  his  allegiance  to  those  principles  which 
he  believed  every  true  southern  man  should  ad- 
here to.  Up  to  the  very  last  he  was  unflinching 
and  unwavering  in  his  love  for  the  South  and  in 
his  adherence  to  the  best  ideals  and  traditions  of 
the  land  of  his  nativity.  At  no  time  during  his 
life  did  he  ever  ' '  crook  the  pregnant  hinges  of  the 
knee  that  thrift  might  follow  fawning. ' '  In  the 
very  best  sense  of  the  word,  he  was  a  southern 
gentleman  of  the  old  school.  The  old  South  and 
the  new  was  all  one  to  him — the  same  old  land, 
the  same  old  people,  the  same  old  traditions — the 
land  of  Washington,  of  .Jefferson,  of  Calhoun  and 
Jackson,  of  Pettigrew  and  Fisher,  of  Graham  and 
Craige,  of  Stonewall  Jackson,  of  Robert  E.  Lee 
and  Jefferson  Davis. 

He  was  honest  and  economical,  always  living 
within  his  means.  He  was  not  only  honorable  in 
financial  matters,  but  the  soul  of  candor  and  hon- 
esty in  the  expression  of  his  opinions.  He  did  not 
needlessly  parade  his  convictions  of  men  and 
things,  but  when  he  did  express  a  judgment,  it  was 
an  honest  one.  It  is  probable  that  he  never  con- 
sciously flattered  a  man  in  his  life.  A  man  of 
great  moral  courage,  he  did  not  fear  to  face  and 
oppose  able  and  distinguished  men  if  he  thought 
they  weie  wrong.  Though  never  a  neutral  in  poli- 
tics, morals  or  religion,  but  having  strong  party 
affinities,  he  would  still  upon  occasion  throw  off  the 
trammels  of  party  and  speak  forth  his  independent 
convictions.  He  did  not  obtrude  himself  upon 
public  notice  and  was  willing  to  take  the  lowest 
seat  unless  there  was  a  call  for  his  appearance. 
He  eared  more  to  satisfy  his  own  conscience  and 
please  God,  than  to  have  honor  among  men. 

The  following  from  the  pen  of  the  late  John  S. 
Henderson  is  characteristic:  "Now  that  he  is 
gone,  he  will  be  appreciated  at  his  true  worth,  as 
one  of  this  world 's  true  noblemen.  I  knew  Mr. 
Bruner  all  my  life  and  I  always  admired  and 
revered  him.  Sometimes  I  disagreed  with  him 
in  opinion,  but  in  doing  so  I  always  felt  that  pos- 
sibly I  might  be  wrong,  knowing  as  I  did  that 
while  he  was  slow  in  coming  to  a  conclusion, 
when  once  his  opinion  was  formed,  he  adhered  to 
it  with  an  undeviating  and  inflexible  fixedness  of 
purpose.  He  was  a  just  man  in  all  his  dealings 
and  conscientious  and  truthful  always.  In  politics, 
he  was  always  true  to  his  convictions  and  to  his 
party  principles — but  he  was  anything  but  a  time- 
server.  He  had  a  perfect  horror  of  duplicity.  As 
an  instance  of  this,  I  remember  once,  when  I  was 
in  the  Legislature,  a  petition  had  been  forwarded 
to  the  Governor  requesting  the  appointment  of  a 
certain  man  to  an  important  public  position.  Mr. 
Bruner  was  importuned  to  sign  the  petition,  and 
did  so  reluctantly,  but  being  convinced  that  he 
had   made  a  mistake  and  that  the  man   was   un- 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


1 1 


■worthy,  he  would  not  be  satisfied  uutil  he  had 
cleared  his  skirts  of  all  responsibility  iu  the  mat- 
ter. He  notified  the  friends  of  the  candidate  that 
he  wished  to  withdraw  his  signature  from  the 
petition.  The  reply  was  that  it  was  too  late,  the 
petition  had  been  sent  to  the  Governor.  He  then 
wrote  to  me  to  call  ujjou  the  Governor  and  ask  him 
to  erase  his  name  from  the  list  of  petitioners.  I 
complied  with  the  request,  and  I  now  remember 
that  the  Governor  was  very  courteous  and  made  the 
erasure  instantly  with  his  own  hand. ' ' 

For  more  than  half  a  century  Mr.  Bruner  was 
at  the  head  of  the  Watchman.     A  bold  and  fear- 
less advocate  of  the  rights  of  the  people,  he  wrote 
with   great   force   and   fidelity   of   expression,    and 
always   with   conservatism   and  great  good   sense. 
The  highmindeduess,  the  infiexible  and  universally 
recognized  integrity  of  the  man,  added  to  his  pru- 
dence and  fine  judgment,  gave  weight  to  his  coun- 
sels  and   rendered  him   always   an   individual   and 
an   editor   of   influence.      A   person   of   pronounced 
views  and  great  decision  of  character,  he  was  yet 
the  most  amiable,   genial  and  kindly  of   men,  at 
all  times   characterized   by   a  degree  of  liberality 
and  conservatism  that  won  him  respect  and  friend- 
ship even  from  those  who  might  differ  with  him  in 
matters  of  church  or  state.     With  but  one  hope  or 
purpose — to  serve  his  people  and  state  faithfully 
and  honestly — he  steered  his  journal  from  year  to 
year,  from  decade  to  decade,  from  the  morning  of 
one    century    almost    to    the    morning    of    another, 
until  he  made  himself  and  his  paper  honored  land- 
marks not  only  of   his  own  town,  but   throughout 
North  Carolina.     The  editor  of  the  Manufacturers' 
Record    has    said :     "No    other    North    Carolina 
journalist   of   earlier   days   had   the   prescience   to 
see   and  the   ability  to  set  forth  what   the   future 
of  that  State  might  be  made  because  of   its  im- 
mense  and    varied   natural   resources.      Living   in 
the  center  of  a  natural  district  surrounded  by  vast 
forests  and  by  fertile  lands,  Mr.  Bruner  saw  that 
the  State  had  within  itself  every  needed  natural 
material  for  the  creation  and  continuance  of  di- 
versified industries,  and  while  a  young  editor  he 
began  to  study  these  intelligently,  and  to  give  such 
publicity    to    them    as    his    circulation    permitted. 
Scrupulously  honest,  he  never  permitted  any  state- 
ment to  lie  made  that  he  did  not  believe  to  be  true, 
and  so,  in  the  course  of  years,  the  '  Carolina  Watch- 
man' came  to  be  widely  recognized  as  a  safe  and 
accurate  authority  on  all  such  subjects.  > '     *     *     * 
"Among  all  the   Southern   newspaper  men  whose 
acquaintance  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  make, 
none  has  seemed  to  me  so  near  perfection  in  all 
that  constitutes  a  true  journalist  and  a  true  man 
as  John  Joseph  Bruner."     He  recorded  truthfully 
and  without  envy  or  prejudice  the  birth  and  down- 
fall of  political  parties.    He — inspired  by  a  united 
effort  to  Americanize  and  weld  together  every  sec- 
tion of  this  great  union — grew  eloquent  in  praise 
of  wise  and  sagacious  leaders,  and  he  blotted  with 
a  tear  the  paper  on  which  he  wrote  of  sectional 
strife    and    discord.      He    chronicled    with    sober 
earnestness  the  birth  of   a  new   republic,  and  like 
other  loyal  sons  of  the  South,  raised  his  arm   and 
pen  in   its   defense.      He   watched   with   unfeigned 
interest  its  short  and  stormy  career,  and  then  wrote 
dispassionately  of  the  furling  of  its  blood  stained 
banner.     He  was  ever  found  fighting  for  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  best  interests  of  his  people,  and 
advocating  such  men  and  measures  as  seemed  to 
him  just  and  right.     An  old  time  whig  before  the 
war,  he  aspired  not  to  political  preferment  or  posi- 


tion, but  only  to  an  honored  stand  in  the  ranks 
of  a  loyal  and  beneficent  citizenship.  Joining  in 
witli  the  rank  and  file  of  the  white  men  of  the 
conquered  South  he  was  content  to  lend  all  his 
talent  and  energy  iu  aiding  them  in  the  upbuilding 
of   an  imjjoverished  section. 

The  greater  portion  of  his  compositions  were 
editorials  upon  political  or  practical  themes  of  a 
public  nature.  They  were  plain,  pointed  and  in- 
telligible. He  did  not  pretend  to  the  graces  of 
rhetoric,  though  from  constant  reading  his  taste 
had  been  developed  in  the  line  of  a  transparent, 
simple  style.  He  could  distinguish  bombast  and 
fustian  from  pure  English  at  a  glance. 

But  aside  from  his  editorials,  Mr.  Bruner  some- 
times in  leisure  moments  indulged  in  writing  grace- 
ful little  poems  and  essays,  which  he  did  not  pub- 
lish but  put  into  his  drawer,  there  to  lie  for  years. 
These  were  evidently  jotted  down  at  a  sitting  and 
have  not  had  the  advantage  of  critical  filing  and 
resetting — and  yet  they  indicate  the  possession  of 
an  imagination,  which,  had  it  been  cultivated  might 
have  won  him  distinction  in  the  world  of  letters. 

Blameless  and  exemplary  in  all  the  relations  of 
life,    a   Christian    gentleman,    he    met    all    the    re- 
quirements   of   the   highest   citizenship,   and    what 
higher  eulogy  can  any  hope  to  merit? 
' '  The  great  work  laid  upon  his  three  score  years 
Is  done,  and  well  done.     If  we  drop  our  tears 
We  mourn  no  blighted  hope  or  broken  plan 
With  him  whose  life  stands  rounded  and  approved 
In  the  full  growth  and  stature  of  a  man." 

Nathaniel  Henry  Moore  is  a  prominent  young 
business  man  of  Washington,  one  of  the  executive 
otfieials  in  a  large  wholesale  grocery  Ijusiness  that 
has  been  developed  in  this  city,  and  in  a  public 
way   is   known  to   all  citizens  as   postmaster. 

He  was  born  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  May  10, 
1886,  but  has  lived  in  Washington,  North  Carolina, 
since  189.5.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Bruer  and 
Apple  (Grist)  Moore.  His  father  was  a  whole- 
sale merchant  but  now  deceased.  Nathaniel  H. 
Moore  grew  up  in  Washington,  attended  private 
and  high  school,  and  acquired  his  early  experience 
in  a  wholesale  grocery  establishment.  He  is  vice 
president  and  secretary  of  the  Caroliim  Distribut- 
ing Company,  one  of  the  concerns  that  have  served 
to  make  Washington  an  important  wholesale  dis- 
tributing point  for  this  section  of  the  state.  Mr. 
Moore  was  aiijiointed  postmaster  of  AVashington 
on  March  3,  1915. 

He  is  an  active  member  of  St.  Peter's  Parish 
of  the  Episcopal  Church,  is  a  vestryman,  and  is 
one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Brotherhood 
of  St.  Andrew. 

John  Hamlin  Polger.  A  widely  known  and 
highly  respected  attorney  of  Mount  Airy,  Surry 
County,  John  Hamlin  Polger  is  thoroughly  versed 
in  the  intricacies  of  the  law,  and  during  his  pros- 
perous professional  career  has  conducted  and  won 
nmny  cases  of  importance.  He  was  born  in  Rock- 
ford',  Surrv  County,  a  son  of  Thomas  Wilson  Fol- 
ger, 'and  grandson  of  Milton  Young  Folger,  for 
many  years  a  practicing  physician  of  Surry  Coun- 
ty. His  paternal  great-grandfather,  Reuben  Fol- 
ge'r,  was  a  son  of  Latham  Folger,  the  founder  of 
the'Polger  families  of  this  state.  He  is  of  substan- 
tial English  ancestry,  and  comes  from  the  very 
oldest  stock  that  peopled  the  Island  of  Nantucket, 
being  a  direct  descendant  of  one  of  two  brothers 
named  Folger,  who   were  among  the  original   pro- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


prietors  of  that  small  but  important  island,  im- 
migrating there  from  England  in  very  early 
Colonial  times. 

Eeuben  Folger  succeeded  to  the  occupation  of 
his  ^^ew  England  ancestors,  and  during  his  active 
career  owned  and  operated  a  plantation  near  the 
present  site  of  Kernersville,  Forsyth  County.  He 
married  Lydia  Wilson,  a  native  of  Eandolph  Coun- 
ty, North  Carolina,  and  to  them  six  sons  were 
born  and  reared,  as  follows:  Cyrus,  Alfred,  Eufus 
W.,  Benjamin  1\,  Jackson  and  Milton  Young. 

Milton  Young  Folger  was  born  on  the  home 
plantation,  near  Kernersville,  in  1819.  Entering 
the  medical  profession  as  a  young  man,  he  prac- 
ticed first  at  Brownsville,  Davidson  County,  from 
there  removing  with  his  family  to  Eockford,  Surry 
County,  where  he  continued  in  active  practice 
until  his  death,  in  1890.  Dr.  M.  Y.  Folger  was 
twice  married.  He  married  first  Elizabeth  Pegram, 
a  native  of  Guilford  County,  and  to  them  four 
children  were  born,  Eomulus  S.,  Eunice  M.,  Adrian 
Bush  and  Fanny.  The  doctor  married  for  his  sec- 
ond wife  Elizabeth  Gray,  who  was  born  in  Davie 
County,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  (Kelley)  Gray.  Of  their  union  seven 
children  were  born,  namely:  Joseph,  MoUie, 
Thomas  Wilson,  Maude,  Metta  Alice,  Ida  and 
Benjamin  F. 

Born  February  28,  1854,  in  Eockford,  Surry 
County,  Thomas  Wilson  Folger  received  superior 
educational  advantages  as  a  youth,  being  gradu- 
ated from  Trijiity  College,  and  later  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  Immediately  opening  a  law 
office  in  Dobson,  he  built  up  an  extensive  and 
remunerative  legal  practice,  and  was  there  a  resi- 
dent until  his  deatli,  in  1913,  at  the  early  age  of 
fifty-nine  years.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Ada  Dillard  Eobertson. 

John  "Hamlin  Folger  acquired  his  elementary 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Dobson,  later 
continuing  his  studies  at  Guilford  College.  He 
subsequently  entered  the  law  department  of  the 
University  of  North  Carolina,  and  was  there  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1901.  Locating  in  Dob- 
son, Mr.  Folger  achieved  marked  success  in  liis 
legal  work,  carrying  it  on  in  that  place  for  four 
years.  In  190.5  he  came  to  Mount  Airy,  and  in 
this  vicinity  has  built  up  a  large  and  highly  satis- 
factory general  practice,  his  legal  skill  and  ability 
being  widely  recognized  and  appreciated. 

Mr.  Folger  married  November  5,  1899,  Miss 
Maude  Douglas,  wlio  was  born  and  brought  up  in 
Yadkin  County,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  W.  and  Lulu  (Wilson)  Douglas,  and  into 
their  pleasant  home  four  chUdreu  have  been  born, 
namely:  Fred,  Nell,  Henry  and  Frances.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Folger  are  active  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  South,  of  which  Mr.  Folger 
has  served  as  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees, 
and  as  a  steward. 

Mr.  Folger  is  prominently  identified  with  sev- 
eral of  the  leading  fraternal  organizations  of  Surry 
County,  being  a  member  of  Granite  Lodge,  No. 
207,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons; 
of  Mount  Airy  Chapter,  Eoyal  Arch  Masons;  of 
Mount  Airy  Council,  No.  73 ;  of  the  Junior  Order 
of  United  American  Mechanics,  and  of  Mount 
Airy  Tribe,  Improved  Order  of  Bed  Men. 

Alexander  Henderson  Galloway,  Jr.  Every 
community  realizes  sooner  or  later  the  need  not  so 
much  of  capital  or  of  material  resources  as  of  an 
effective  body  of  citizenship,  devoted  to  the  civic 
welfare,  willing  to  sacrifice  their  private  interests 


for  some  good  that  comes  to  the  community  as  a 
whole.  Winston-Salem  has  several  such  men,  and 
none  with  more  dynamic  energy  and  enthusiasm 
for  all  that  concerns  a  larger  and  better  city  than 
Alexander  H.  Galloway.  Mr.  Galloway  represents 
one  of  the  oldest  families  in  this  part  of  North 
Carolina,  being  a  son  of  Major  Alexander  H.  and 
Sally  (Scales)  Galloway,  of  Eeidsville.  The  family 
history  and  the  career  of  Major  Galloway  are 
sketched  on  other  pages  of  this  publication. 

Alexander  Galloway,  Jr.,  was  born  at  the  old 
home  of  his  father  at  Valley  Field  in  Bockingham 
County  September  15,  1870.  His  father  being  a 
man  of  ample  means  he  kept  a  private  tutor  for 
the  benefit  of  his  children,  and  besides  the  instruc- 
tion from  this  source  Alexander  H.  attended  the 
Eeidsville  public  schools,  and  also  had  a  course  in 
Eastman's  Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie,  New 
York. 

He  began  his  business  experience  as  clerk  in  a 
bank  at  Greensboro  for  two  years  and  from  there 
came  to  Winston-Salem.  For  several  years  he  was 
in  the  oflice  of  the  E.  J.  Eeynolds  Tobacco  Com- 
pany at  Winston,  but  resigned  to  become  teller 
m  the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Company.  He  left 
the  bank  to  take  up  the  real  estate  business.  Mr. 
Galloway  has  been  one  of  the  primary  factors  in 
giving  Winston-Salem  adequate  hotel  facilities. 
In  1906  he  organized  the  Forsyth  Hotel  Company, 
became  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  this  organiza- 
tion built  the  fine  Hotel  Zinzendorf.  In  1911  Mr. 
Galloway  personally  leased  this  hotel  and  has  since 
conducted  it  under  his  personal  supervision.  In 
1912  he  organized  the  Guilford  Hotel  Company, 
which  took  over  the  Guilford  Hotel,  and  that 
place  of  public  entertainment  has  also  been  under 
his  management. 

In  1916  Mr.  Galloway  was  elected  president  of 
the  Winston-Salem  Board  of  Trade,  and  under  his 
leadership  that  organization  is  making  a  record 
year  of  performance  for  the  development  of  the 
city  along  different  lines.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Twin  City  Club  and  the  Forsyth  County  Country 
Club. 

In  February,  1907,  Mr.  Galloway  married  Miss 
Mary  Gray,  member  of  a  prominent  family  of 
Winston-SaJera,  and  daughter  of  James  and 
Aurelia  (Bowman)  Gray.  They  are  the  parents 
of  two  sons,  James  Bowman  and  Alexander,  Jr. 

WrLLL\M  Arch  Bradsher,  M.  D.  The  profes- 
sion of  medicine  is  one  to  which  many  aspire,  but 
in  which  only  the  chosen  few  meet  with  any  com- 
parative degree  of  success.  Of  the  physicians  of 
Person  County  who  have  attained  distinction  and 
prosperity  in  their  profession,  one  of  the  best 
known  is  Dr.  William  Arch  Bradsher,  who  has  been 
engaged  in  pjractiee  at  Eoxboro  since  1904.  He 
began  his  career  as  a  public  instructor,  but  after 
several  years  of  teaching  turned  his  attention  to 
medicine,  with  the  result  that  today  he  occupies 
a  prominent  and  helpful  place  in  his  community. 

Doctor  Bradsher  is  a  native  son  of  Person  County, 
and  was  born  September  15,  1877,  his  parents 
being  D'Arcy  William  and  Mildred  (Satterfield) 
Bradsher.  His  father  was  well  known  in  the  lo- 
cality of  Eoxboro  and  for  many  years  occupied  the 
position  of  clerk  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Person 
County.  The  public  and  high  schools  of  the  county 
scat  furnished  the  basis  for  Doctor  Bradsher 's  edu- 
cation, following  which  he  attended  Wake  Forest 
College.  He  had  a  creditable  college  career,  and  in 
1898  and  1899  acted  as  manager  of  the  college 
paper,   the  Wake    Forest    College   Student,    which 


I'.'E 


f  ASTOP,  LENOX  i 


t-\^\ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


79 


prospered  aud  flourished  under  his  handling  of  its 
affairs.  He  was  graduated  in  1899  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  secured  the  position  of 
principal  of  the  lioxboro  High  School,  which  he  re- 
tained from  1899  until  1901,  then  resigning  in 
order  to  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  his  chosen 
profession.  ,  He  entered  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Maryland  at  that  time,  and 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine 
in  19U4.  When  he  was  licensed  to  practice,  in  the 
same  year,  he  was  one  of  three  to  be  mentioned 
with  honor  before  the  examining  board.  Doctor 
Bradsher  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Roxboro,  aud  his  professional 
business  has  grown  steadily  since  that  time.  He 
is  accounted  a  skilled  practitioner,  an  able  advisor 
and  a  thorouglily  competent  surgeon ;  aud  his  strict 
observance  of  professional  ethics  gives  him  an  ex- 
cellent standing  among  his  fellow-members  of  the 
fraternity.  Doctor  Bradsher  belongs  to  the  Person 
County  Medical  Society,  the  North  Carolina  State 
Medical  Society,  the  Southern  Medical  Society  and 
the  American  Medical  Association.  He  has  had  his 
full  share  of  public  service,  and  has  discharged 
faithfully  and  efficiently  the  duties  devolving  upon 
him  as  a  member  of  the  county  board  of  education, 
to  which  he  formerly  belonged;  as  county  physician 
for  ten  years;  and  at  present  as  a  member  of  the 
local  exemption  board. 

Doctor  Bradsher  was  married  July  6, 1910,  to  Miss 
Anna  Price  Merritt,  of  Person  County,  North  Car- 
olina, and  to  this  union  there  have  been  born  two 
children :  Kilcen  Merritt  and  Anne  Torian.  Doctor 
and  Mrs.  Bradsher  are  members  of  the  Missionary 
Baptist  Church. 

Henry  Clay  Carter.,  Jr.,  whose  position  as  a 
lawyer  is  among  the  leaders  of  the  profession,  has 
been  in  active  practice  at  Washington  since  his 
admission  to  the  bar. 

He  w)as  born  at  Fairfield,  North  Carolina, 
October  8,  1883,  a  son  of  Henry  Clay  and  Robeua 
(Spencer)  Carter.  His  father  was  a  farmer.  Mr. 
Carter  was  educated  in  the  Fairfield  Academy, 
took  his  academic  work  at  Trinity  College  at 
Durham,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1904,  and  in 
1906  completed  his  law  studies  in  the  Vniversity 
•;f  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Carter  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  February,  1906,  and  soon  afterward 
began  general  practice  at  Washington.  Here 
the  interests  of  a  growing  clientage  have  claimed 
his  time  and  attention  but  he  also  served  two  years 
as  county  attorney  and  for  the  past  eight  years 
iias  been  city  attorney  of  Washington. 

Mr.  Carter  is  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina 
Bar  Association,  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  is  quite  active  in 
di'mocratie  party  affairs,  having  served  as  presi- 
dential elector  in  1916. 

November  4,  1908,  he  married  Lucile  Thorn 
^icholson,  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  C.  and  Annie 
Elizabeth  (Lucas)  Nicholson,  of  Washington. 
They  have  three  children:  David  Nicholson,  Caro- 
line Virginia  and  William  Baker. 

William  J.  Byerly.  Endowed  by  nature  with 
far  more  than  average  business  capacity  and  judg- 
ment, William  J.  Byerly,  of  Mount  Airy,  the 
leading  financier  of  Surry  County,  has  been  the 
chief  moving  spirit  in  the  organization  of  banking 
institutions,  not  only  in  his  own,  but  in  various 
other  counties.  Officially  connected  with  each  of 
the  banks  that  he  has  helped  establish,  whose  ag- 
gregate  deposits  now  amount  to  over   $2,500,000, 


his  wise  counsel  and  far-seeing  financial  vision 
has  ever  been  at  their  service,  and  his  personal 
reputation  invariably  inspires  the  public  with  con- 
fidence in  their  stability  and  worth.  A  native  of 
North  Carolina,  Mr.  Byerly  was  born  at  Yadkin 
College,  Davidson  County,  which  was  likewise  the 
birthplace  of  both  his  father,  John  F.  Byerly,  and 
of  his  grandfather,  Frank  Byerly. 

Peter  Byerly,  the  great-grandiather  of  William 
J.,  was  born  aud  reared  in  Germany.  Immigi'ating 
to  America,  he  came  directly  to  this  state,  settling 
as  a  pioneer  in  Davidson  County.  Securing  title 
to  a  large  tract  of  land  bordering  on  the  Yadkin 
Eiver,  he  improved  the  waterpower,  and  there 
erected  one  of  the  first  flour  mills  established  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  Clearing  a  goodly  por- 
tion of  the  land,  he  was  there  engaged  in  farming 
and  milling  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Inheriting  a  plantation,  Frank  Byerly,  gi-and- 
father  of  William  J.  Byerly,  carried  on  general 
farming  with  slave  labor,  and  there  spent  the  ma- 
jor part  of  his  long  life  of  eighty-nine  years.  He 
married  a  Miss  Phillips,  and  they  reared  a  family 
of  five  children,  as  follows:  Wesley,  Fanny,  John 
F.,  Lindsay  and  Ephraim. 

John  F.  Byerly,  father  of  W.  J.  Byerly,  was 
educated  at  Yadkin  College,  and  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Civil  war  enlisted  in  the  regiment  com- 
manded by  Col.  .James  A.  Leach,  and  went  to  the 
front.  He  was  twice  wounded  in  battle,  but,  with 
the  exception  of  three  months  spent  in  recuperating 
from  his  injuries,  continued  in  service  until  the 
close  of  the  conflict,  being  in  Appomattox  at  the 
surrender.  Returning  home,  he  resumed  liis  agri- 
cultural labors.  He  continued  as  a  farmer  until 
his  death,  in  1912.  He  married  Elizabeth  Hartley, 
who  was  born  at  Yadkin  College,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  W.  and  Martha  (Gobble)  Hartley.  She 
survived  her  husband,  and  is  now  living  with  a 
daughter  in  Advance,  Davie  County,  this  state. 
She  has  reared  seven  children,  namely:  William 
J.,  the  special  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Nora,  wife 
of  C.  M.  Sheets,  of  Wilkesboro ;  Georgina,  wife  of 
C.  J.  Taylor,  of  Advance;  Tullia,  wife  of  William 
Poindextcr,  of  Winston  Salem;  Thomas  J.,  a  well 
known  lianker  of  National  City  Bank  of  New  York 
City;  Guler,  aud  May. 

After  leaving  Y'adkin  College,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated, William  J.  Byerly,  in  1892,  went  to  Lexing- 
ton, Davidson  County,  where  he  was  em]iloyed  as 
a  bookkeeper  in  the  Bank  of  Lexington  for  three 
years.  Going  from  there  in  1895  to  Louisburg, 
iSTorth  Carolina,  and  accepted  the  position  of  cash- 
ier. He  organized  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank, 
and  gained  an  experience  that  has  since  been  of 
inestimable  value  to  him.  Locating  at  Mount  Airy 
in  1905  Mr.  Byerly  made  good  use  of  the  knowl- 
edge he  had  iireviously  obtained  by  organizing 
the  Bank  of  Mount  Airy,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  the  president,  in  that  capacity  managing  its 
affairs  with  wisdom  and  discretion.  He  had,  how- 
ever, before  that  year,  organized  two  institutions 
of  a  similar  nature,  in  1901  having  established  at 
Mocksville  the  Bank  of  Davie  and  Bairk  of  French 
Broad  at  Marshall  in  which  he  is  a  director,  and 
in  1902  having  organized,  at  Taylorsville,  the  Bank 
of  Alexander,  which  he  has  since  served  as  vice 
president. 

Mr.  Byerly  is  likewise  president  of  the  Bank  of 
Yadkin,  at  Y'adkinville,  which  he  organized  in 
1905,  and  is  a  director  in  several  other  banking 
institutions,  including  the  Bank  of  Stokes  County, 
at  Danbury,  and  the  Bank  of  Wilkes,  at  Wilkes- 
boro,  both   of   which  he   organized   in   1907;   and 


80 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


the  Commercial  and  Farmers  Bank  at  Rural  Hall, 
and  the  Commercial  and  Savings  Bank  at  Boone- 
v-ille,  both  of  which  he  organized  in  1908.  Mr. 
Byerly  is  also  a  director  of  the  North  Carolina 
Granite  Corporation,  and  as  a  stockholder  is  finan- 
cially interested  in  various  other  corporations. 
Faithful  to  the  trusts  and  confidence  reposed  in 
him,  he  gives  his  personal  attention  to  the  various 
organizations  with  which  he  is  connected,  allowing 
nothing  to  escape  his  observation  that  would  ad- 
vance their  financial  status  and  prosperity. 

Mr.  Byerly  married  Miss  May  E.  Leonard,  of 
Lexington,  in  1898,  a  daughter  of  W.  C.  B.  and 
MoUie  Leonard.  Mrs.  Byerly  died  in  1916.  Mr. 
Byerly  is  a  member  of  the  Central  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  in  which  he  is  serving  as 
steward. 

Jacob  Cicero  Tise.  At  an  early  hour  on  Octo- 
ber 1.3,  1917,  the  lifework  of  Mr.  Jacob  Cicero  Tise 
of  Winston-Salem  came  to  its  close.  But,  as  one 
who  has  known  him  long  wrote  at  the  time,  ' '  this 
is  not  the  end.  The  good  which  he  has  done  will 
live  on.  How  much  useful  work  he  has  done  and 
what  influences  for  good  have  found  their  source  in 
his  mind  and  heart  will  appear  greater  in  the 
years  to  come  when  viewed  in  distant  retrospec- 
tion. ' ' 

It  is  doubtful  if  any  resident  of  North  Carolina 
entered  business  at  an  earlier  age  then  Jacob 
Cicero  Tise.  He  was  a  bona  fide  merchant  when 
only  ten  years  of  age.  His  father  was  backing 
him,  and  of  course  exercising  more  or  less  super- 
vision over  his  activities.  However,  he  showed 
keen  business  instincts  from  the  start  and  for  a 
great  many  years  occupied  one  of  the  leading 
mercantile  establishments  of  Winston.  He  long 
ago  retired  from  the  role  of  merchant  and  after- 
wards concerned  himself  with  extensive  real  estate 
interests,  becoming  proprietor  of  the  famous  Vade 
Mecum  Spring  and  tourist  resort  north  of  Winston- 
Salem. 

His  life  and  growth  were  almost  contempor- 
aneous with  that  of  his  native  and  beloved  city. 
Born  at  Winston  October  24,  1855,  he  had  been  an 
important  factor  in  its  activities  for  more  than 
half  a  century.  Although  the  meridian  seemed 
hardly  passed  he  had  left  little  undone  to  complete 
the  life  task  of  a  real  man. 

By  birth  and  training  he  was  weU  endowed  for 
a  career  of  usefulness.  His  parents  made  for 
themselves  and  their  children  a  typical  American 
home  of  their  day,  from  which  most  of  our  strong 
men  have  come — a  home  where  industry,  economy, 
integrity  and  religion  were  taught  and  practiced. 

His  father,  Jacob  Tise,  was  born  in  Davidson 
County,  North  Carolina,  December  1.3,  1817,  came 
to  Salem  when  a  young  man,  and  there  served  an 
apprenticeship  at  the  blacksmith  and  carriage 
making  trade.  After  becoming  a  master  workman 
he  bought  property  in  the  new  Town  of  Winston. 
He  put  up  his  shop  on  the  forks  at  the  junction 
of  Main  and  Liberty  Street.  That  shop  was  the 
home  of  high  class  workmanship  and  many  well 
built  wagons  and  carriages  were  made  there.  His 
home  was  directly  across  Main  Street  from  the 
shop,  and  the  old  house  is  still  standing,  though  it 
has  been  removed  from  its  original  location.  Jacob 
Tise,  Sr.,  was  a  very  successful  business  man  and 
one  o'f  the  pioneers  of  Winston.  Out  of  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  business  he  bought  property,  including 
the  block  east  of  and  across  Main  Street  from  the 
postolfice.  At  that  time  only  two  buildings  stood 
on  this  block.     Besides  wagon  and  carriage  build- 


ing he  was  a  merchant,  and  he  continued  his  use- 
ful and  honorable  career  in  the  city  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  Jacob  Tise  married 
Margaret  Kiser.  She  was  born  November  19,  1825, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Betty  (Ripple)  Kiser. 
Henry  Kiser  was  a  son  of  Tandy  Kiser,  wno 
operated  an  extensive  plantation  and  had  upwards 
of  a  100  slaves  in  his  service.  His  last  years 
were  spent  on  his  farm  near  Rural  Hall  in  Forsyth 
County.  Henry  Kiser  also  owned  and  occupied  a 
large  farm  five  miles  from  Germanton  in  Stokes 
County.  He  and  his  wife  lived  there  until  death 
overtook  them  when  upwards  of  ninety  years  of 
age.  Mrs.  Jacob  Tise  died  in  March,  19i5,  when 
eighty-nine  years  old.  She  was  a  greatly  beloved 
woman  and  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Winston 
at  the  time  of  her  death.  She  reared  four  chil- 
dren: Mary  J.,  who  married  Sihon  A.  Ogburn,  of 
Winston  Salem,  Martha  Ann,  who  became  the  wife 
of  John  H.  Masten,  Charles  H.,  now  deceased,  and 
Jacob  Cicero. 

The  school  from  which  Jacob  Cicero  Tise 
received  most  of  his  early  instruction  was  known 
as  Liberty  Academy.  Its  sessions  were  held  in  a 
log  cabin.  The  seats  were  made  of  slab  benches 
and  as  the  furnishings  throughout  were  most  primi- 
tive, the  instruction  was  also  confined  to  the  funda- 
mentals. 

His  entrance  into  merchandising  at  the  age  of 
ten  years  has  already  been  referred  to.  Probably 
wishing  to  encourage  good  business  practices  in 
his  boy,  his  father  set  aside  a  small  portion  of  a 
building  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Liberty  and 
Third  streets,  and  the  stock  presided  over  by 
young  Tise  consisted  of  ginger  cakes  and  beer. 
The  beer  was  made  by  his  mother  from  molasses. 
The  cakes  ana  beer  were  of  excellent  quality,  and 
the  boy  had  no  diiBculty  in  disposing  of  the  entire 
stock  every  day.  It  was  a  money  making  institu- 
tion and  in  a  short  time,  when  more  room  was 
required,  a  partition  was  removed  and  the  busi- 
ness took  its  first  step  of  progress.  A  stock  of 
general  merchandise  was  installed  and  afterwards 
the  trade  was  extended  to  farm  implements.  The 
father  shared  in  the  profits  with  his  boy,  but  the 
latter  was  in  active  charge,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  became  an  independent  merchant. 
After  that  he  sold  goods  in  Winston  on  a  very 
successful  scale  until  1892.  In  that  year  he  retired 
from  merchandising  and  gave  all  his  attention  to 
the  handling  of  real  estate.  He  bought,  improved 
and  sold  both  city  and  suburban  lots,  and  was 
successful  himself  and  did  much  to  develop  some 
hitherto  neglected  portions  of  Winston-Salem. 

In  1900  he  organized  a  stock  company  and 
bought  the  Vade  Mecum  Springs  property  of  3,000 
acres,  located  in  Stokes  County.  A  few  years  later 
Mr.  Tise  became  sole  proprietor,  and  thereafter 
expended  upwards  of  $100,000  in  improving  and 
beautifying  this  wonderful  springs  resort,  which 
travelers  far  and  wide  have  visited  and  which  is 
one  of  the  most  celebrated  places  of  its  kind  in 
North  Carolina. 

On  November  5,  1884,  Mr.  Tise  married  Miss 
Laura  Ellen  Miller  at  Riverside,  North  Carolina. 
Their  lives  blended  into  a  union  of  perfect  help- 
fulness, congeniality  and  happiness.  A  cultivated 
voice,  rich  in  expression  of  sacred  music,  which 
she  possessed,  had  its  influence  in  leading  him  to 
her  own  church.  He  loved  music  and  had  appre- 
ciation for  the  beautiful  in  art  and  nature  alike. 
Mrs.  Tise  was  born  in  Ciemmons  Township  of 
Forsyth  County,  a  daughter  of  John  W.  Miller, 
who  was  bom  on  the  same  farm,  a  granddaughter 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


81 


of  John  Miller,  and  a  great-granddaughter  of  John 
Miller,  a  native  of  Germany.  This  last  John  Miller 
moved  to  England  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  live 
there.  He  reared  three  children,  John,  Frederick 
and  Elizabeth.  They  inherited  considerable  prop- 
erty from  their  father  and  all  of  them  came  to 
America  and  located  in  North  Carolina.  Mrs. 
Tise  's  grandfather,  John  Miller,  bought  some 
large  tracts  of  land  bordering  Yadkin  Eiver  in 
what  was  then  Stokes  County.  Many  slaves  were 
employed  to  operate  this  laud.  He  also  im- 
proved the  power  on  the  Yadkin  Eiver,  erecting 
a  flour  and  saw  mill  whose  wheels  were  kept  turn- 
ing many  years  and  gave  a  notable  service  in  fur- 
nishing provision  and  lumber  for  a  large  district. 
The  John  Miller  residence  in  Clemmons  Township 
overlooked  the  Yadkin  River,  and  that  was  his 
home  until  his  death  at  an  advanced  age.  Grand- 
father John  Miller  married  Elizabeth  McBride, 
also  a  native  of  England.  They  reared  eight  chil- 
dren :  Nicholas,  Jonathan,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Patty, 
Nancy,  John  and  Thomas.  John  W.  Miller,  father 
of  Mrs.  Tise,  grew  up  in  Clemmons  Township, 
attended  the  public  schools,  and  succeeded  to  the 
ownership  of  the  old  homestead.  He  also  had 
numerous  slaves  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 
He  operated  his  land  for  general  farming  and  also 
conducted  the  mills  established  by  his  father.  He 
remained  in  that  community  until  his  death.  John 
W.  Miller  married  Eliza  Ward,  who  was  born  in 
Davie  County,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Levin 
Ward.  Levin  Ward  was  a  native  of  England,  came 
to  America  when  a  young  man,  and  settled  in 
Davie  County  and  acquired  some  large  tracts  of 
land,  which  were  operated  with  slave  labor.  He 
continued  a  resident  of  Davie  County  until  his 
death.  Levin  Ward's  first  wife,  the  grandmother 
of  Mrs.  Tise,  was  a  Miss  Brook,  who  died  in  early 
life,  leaving  just  one  daughter.  Mrs.  John  W. 
Miller  died  when  ninety-one  years  of  age.  She 
reared  ten  children:  Elizabeth,  Thomas,  Minnie, 
Weslev,  Martha,  William,  Virginia,  Cenie,  Laura 
E.  (M'rs.  Tise),  and  Dora.  Mrs.  Tise 's  father  was 
a  member  of  the  Moravian  Church  while  her  mother 
was  a  Methodist. 

While  it  is  important  that  the  above  facts 
should  be  incUuled  as  the  main  essentials  of 
biographical  outline,  it  remains  to  describe  more 
adequately  the  personal  character  of  the  late  Mr. 
Tise.  Fortunately  this  has  been  well  done  by  one 
whose  words  have  already  been  quoted.  This 
sketch  may  well  conclude  with  the  appreciation 
penned  by  the  same  writer: 

"Few  indeed  are  men  gifted  with  a  mind  more 
alert,  a  memory  more  accurate,  a  judgment  better 
balanced,  or  a  comprehension  more  complete  than 
he  possessed.  Equally  facile  with  mind  or  hand 
he  could  organize,  direct  or  execute  works  of  great 
variety  and  importance.  Early  in  life  he  was  a 
merchant,  and  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the 
most  successful  salesman  of  his  day.  Later  he 
turned  to  manufacturing  and  achieved  success 
equally  marked.  Still  later  he  saw  the  need  of 
broadening  the  markets  of  his  city  and  turned  to 
the  building  of  warehouses  and  threw  his  wonder- 
ful persojiality  and  rare  gifts  of  trade  into  our 
near  and  remote  territory,  where  he  is  today  best 
remembered  as  the  farmers  friend  at  the  great 
tobacco  market  of  Winston-Salem. 

"His  faith  in  the  growth  of  his  city  and  Pied- 
mont, North  Carolina,  was  instinctive  and  without 
faltering  grew  with  passing  years.  By  acquiring 
and  improving  real  estate,  he  early  in  life  laid  a 
foundation  for  a  fortune.  No  city  ever  had  a 
Vol.  IV—    « 


more  loyal  supporter  nor  one  who  enjoyed  its 
growth  more  thoroughly.  Fortunate  in  his  own 
undertakings,  he  was  equally  happy  over  the  suc- 
cess of  others;  and  if  ever  one  to  whom  he  has 
given  disinterested  advice  had  accepted  his  clear 
vision  of  the  future,  hundreds  of  us  would  gather 
at  his  bier  today  to  acknowledge  him  our  benefac- 
tor. 

' '  Since  he  has  passed  away  there  is  a  void  in  our 
community  which  will  not  soon  be  filled.  We  shall 
miss  the  genial  smile  and  cordial  greeting  he  had 
for  all — the  rich  and  poor  alike;  we  shall  miss  his 
fluent  and  sparkling  conversation,  his  warm  wel- 
come in  the  home,  and  his  familiar  presence  in 
the  channels  of  our  city  's  life,  where  business  and 
pleasure  meet  and  mingle  together. 

' '  A  perfect  f aitli  in  God  sustained  him  to  the 
end  and  made  his  last  days  his  happiest  and  best. 
His  was  a  well  rounded  career;  but  until  the  veil 
shall  be  withdrawn,  it  will  seem  to  those  who 
knew  him  and  loved  him  that  his  life  was  far 
too  short. ' ' 

James  Anderson  Long.  One  of  the  most  prom- 
inent and  influential  citizens  of  Roxboro,  James 
Anderson  Long,  Jr.,  still  belongs  to  the  younger 
generation  of  business  men.  He  lielongs  to  that 
class  of  representative  men  who  while  promoting 
their  individual  interests  also  advance  the  general 
welfare,  and  who,  while  energetic  and  enterprising 
in  business  life  also  give  freely  of  their  energies 
and  assistance  in  public  matters.  While  his  career 
has  not  been  a  lengthy  one,  it  has  been  featured  by 
a  quick  rise  to  leadership,  and  at  the  present  Mr. 
Long  is  president  of  the  Roxboro  Cotton  Mill  and 
vice  president  of  the  Peoples  Bank. 

Mr.  Long  was  born  at  Roxboro,  North  Carolina, 
August  15,  1885,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Anderson 
and  Laura  Rebecca  (Thompson)  Long.  His  father 
was  born  in  Person  County,  North  Carolina,  May 
2.3,  1841,  a  son  of  Ratliff  and  Mary  (Walters) 
Long.  He  was  given  a  common  .school  education 
and  began  life  as  a  farmer,  but  the  Civil  war  came 
on  to  interrupt  his  career  and  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  Twenty-fourth  North  Carolina  Regiment, 
C.  S.  A.,  in  which  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  sergeant. 
Later  in  life  he  became  major  on  the  staff  of  Gen. 
Julian  S.  Carr,  United  Confederate  Veterans.  When 
the  war  closed  he  resumed  his  farming  operations, 
but  his  interests  gradually  extended  to  other  fields, 
he  becoming  president  of  the  Peoples  Bank  of  Rox- 
boro and  of  the  two  Roxboro  Cotton  Mills,  and 
owner  of  the  Loch  Lily  Roller  Flour  and  Grist 
Mills,  Saw  Mills  and  Planing  Mills.  Mr.  Long  has 
been  prominently  before  the  public  in  many  posi- 
tions of  civic  trust.  As  early  as  1885  he  was  a 
member  of  the  North  Carolina  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives from  Person  County,  and  in  1889,  1901, 
1905  and  1909  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  He 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Kitchin  a  member  of 
the  State  Building  Commission  to  supervise  the 
erection  of  the  State  Administration  Building  pro- 
vided for  by  the  Legislature  of  1911,  and  was 
elected  by  Col.  Ashley  Home  as  a  member  of  the 
committee  to  supervise  the  erection  of  the  monu- 
ment to  the  North  Carolina  Women  of  the  Con- 
federacy, presented  by  Colonel  Home  to  the  State, 
to  be  erected  in  Capitol  Square,  Raleigh.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Church,  is  a  trustee  of  the 
Methodist  Orphanage,  belongs  to  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  Trinity  College,  and  is  chairman  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Greensboro  Female  College. 
In  1882  he  married  Laura  Rebecca  Thompson,  and 
tliey  became  the  parents  of  three  children. 


82 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


James  Anderson  Long,  Jr.,  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Roxboro,  follow- 
ing -n-hieh  he  became  a  student  at  Trinity  College, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1905 
with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  that  same 
year  be  was  tendered  and  accepted  a  position  as 
assistant  cashier  of  the  Peoples  Bank  of  Eoxboro 
and  remained  with  that  banking  house  during  the 
remainder  of  1905  and  a  part  of  1906.  He  then 
transferred  his  services  to  the  Roxboro  Cotton  Mill, 
as  assistant  treasurer,  and  in  January,  1916,  was 
elected  to  the  presidency  and  still  continues  therein. 
He  has  discharged  the  duties  of  his  post  in  a  man- 
ner that  has  caused  the  business  to  flourish  and 
develop,  and  in  the  meantime  has  also  retained  an 
interest  in  the  Peoples  Bank,  of  which  he  is  now 
vice  president.  Among  the  civic  labors  accom- 
plished by  Mr.  Long  may  be  mentioned  those  in 
connection  with  his  position  as  a  member  of  the 
toard  of  education  of  Person  County,  a  post  which 
he  fill?  at  this  time. 

Mr.  Long  was  married  November  9,  1912,  to  Ann 
!Elizabeth  (Bickford)  of  Lock  Haven,  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  have  three  children :  James  Anderson 
III,  Roliert  Edgar  and  Max  Bickford.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Long  are  members  of  the  Edgar  Long  Me- 
morial Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is 
serving  as  steward. 

William  LeBot  Vaughan's  record  as  a  lawyer 
has  been  a  brilliant  one,  and  has  brought  him 
steady  promotion  to  the  better  honors  and  rewards 
of  the  profession  and  of  public  life.  He  has  prac- 
ticed at  Washington  since  his  admission  to  the  bar. 

Mr.  Vaughan  was  born  in  Halifax  County, 
North  Carolina,  January  29,  1880,  a  son  of  William 
Thomas  and  Martha  Eleanor  (Gray)  Vaughan, 
who  were  substantial  farming  people  in  Halifax 
County.  Mr.  Vaughan  received  his  earlier  educa- 
tion in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  his 
native  county,  also  attended  Scotland  Neck 
Academy  and  Wake  Forest  College,  where  he 
graduated  as  Bachelor  of  Arts  with  the  class  of 
1902  and  in  1906  received  the  Master  of  Arts 
degree.  For  several  years  he  taught  school,  a  year 
and  a  half  of  that  time  being  instructor  of 
English  in  Wake  Forest  College.  He  took  his 
law  studies  at  Wake  Forest,  graduating  from  the 
law  department  in  August,  1907.  In  January, 
1908,  he  began  active  practice  at  Washington,  and 
devoted  himself  to  the  law  until  September,  1909. 
At  that  date  the  Board  of  Education  appointed 
him  county  superintendent  of  scliools  and  he  was 
again  in  educational  work  until  he  resigned  the 
oiiice  in  1913.  He  then  became  associated  with 
N.  L.  Simmons,  under  the  name  Simmons  & 
Vaughan,  but  in  November,  1914,  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  .iudge  of  the  county  recorder 's  court 
and  was  reelected  in  1916.  Besides  his  public 
duties  he  is  now  handling  a  general  legal  practice 
alone  and  is  attorney  for  the  Washington-Beaufort 
Land  Company,  the  Washington  Building  and 
Loan  Association  and  for  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Washington. 

Mr.  Vaughan  is  a  member  of  the  Beaufort 
County  Bar  Association,  is  deacon  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church  and  teacher  of  the  Baraca  Class, 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a  Shriner  and  a 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks.  On  December  20,  1910,  he  married  Miss 
Carolina  Virginia  Simmons,  of  Washington.  They 
have  two  sons:  William  LeRoy,  Jr.,  and  Enoch 
Simmons. 


Joseph  B.  Sparger.  An  able  and  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  the  horticultural  interests  of  Surry 
County,  Joseph  B.  Sparger  is  officially  identified 
with  two  of  the  most  extensive  and  successful 
business  organizations  of  this  part  of  the  state, 
being  a  director  and  general  manager  of  the  Spar- 
ger Orchard  Company  and  president  of  the  State 
Mountain  Orchard  Compiany.  He  is  a  resident  of 
Mount  Airy  but  was  born  on  a  farm  lying  four 
miles  east  of  Mount  Airy,  where  his  father,  Wil- 
liam Sparger,  Jr.,  was  also  born,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  1833. 

WUliam  Sparger,  Sr.,  grandfather  of  Joseph  B. 
Sparger,  was  also  born  on  this  parental  homestead, 
the  farm  of  which  his  father  hewed  from  the  wil- 
derness, having  bought  this  tract  of  wild  land  soon 
after  coming  to  North  Carolina  from  Holland,  his 
native  country.  His  brothers  and  sisters,  of  whom 
he  had  many,  all  changed  their  surnames,  it  is  be- 
lieved, from  its  original  form,  ' '  Wolfenbarger ' '  to 
' '  Sparger, ' '  and  all  but  two  of  his  brothers  mi- 
grated to  Ohio.  William  Sparger,  Sr.,  continued  a 
resident  of  Surry  County,  and  after  reaching  man- 
hood settled  in  Mount  Airy.  There  were  at  that 
time  no  railroads  in  the  gtate,  and  he  embarked  in 
business  as  a  freighter,  with  teams  transporting 
produce  of  all  kinds  to  FayetteviUe,  then  known 
as  Cross  Koads,  on  the  return  trip  bringing  a  load 
of  merchandise.  While  thus  engaged,  in  1834,  he 
was  robbed  on  the  road,  and  murdered.  His  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Bryson,  was  born, 
it  is  thought,  in  Virginia.  She  survived  him  more 
than  half  a  century,  living  to  be  nearly  ninety 
years  old.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  sons  and 
four  daughters,  as  follows :  James,  John,  WUliam, 
Sally,  Joyce,  Mary  and  Jane. 

William  Sparger,  Jr.,  a  little  lad,  scarce  a  year 
old  when  his  father  died,  was  brought  up  on  the 
home  farm,  and  early  in  life  served  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  miller's  trade,  an  occupation  that  later 
exempted  him  from  service  in  the  Confederate 
army.  Accumulating  some  money,  he  subsequent- 
ly invested  in  land,  buying  land  which  included  a 
part  of  his  grandfather 's  original  estate,  situated 
four  miles  east  of  Mount  Airy.  During  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Civil  war,  he  operated  J.  W.  Brower's 
grist  mill  in  Hamburg,  continuing  its  management 
a  number  of  years.  Assuming  then  the  possession 
of  his  farm,  he  was  there  employed  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  death,  July,  1915.  He  married 
Sarah  Witcher,  a  native  of  Carroll  County,  Vir- 
ginia. She  passed  to  the  life  beyond  in  1912,  leav- 
ing six  children,  namely:  Allen  L.,  William  S., 
Joseph  B.,  James  A.,  Mary  and  Joyce. 

Acquiring  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools,  and  the  public  schools  of  Mount  Airy,  Jo- 
seph B.  Sparger  was  fitted  for  a  teacher  at  the 
Oak  Ridge  Institute,  in  Guilford  County.  Enter- 
ing upon  a  professional  career,  he  taught  school 
four  years,  and  then  decided  to  make  a  change  in 
his  occupation.  Locating  in  Mount  Airy,  Mr.  Spar- 
ger embarked  in  the  hardware  business,  and  in  ad- 
dition became  a  manufacturer  of  chairs,  and 
dressed  lumber.  Being  successful  in  the  manage- 
ment of  these  enterprises,  he  continued  both  until 
1909. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Sparger  had  become  ac- 
tively interested  in  the  culture  of  fruits,  a  branch 
of  horticulture  with  which  he  is  very  familiar,  and 
now,  as  director  and  general  manager  of  the  Spar- 
ger Orchard  Company  superintends  the  growing 
and  fruit  gathering  of  30,000  productive  apple  and 
peach  trees,  whUe  as  president  of  the  State  Moun- 


(y(^4vCUiaJJl 


-..„,  \ 


TIL" 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


83 


tain  Orchard  Company,  which  owns  800  acres  of 
mountain  fruit  land,  he  is  Isept  -busily  employed 
at  his  favorite  industry. 

Mr.  Sparger  married,  in  1892,  Miss  Bettie  Case, 
who  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  North  Carolina, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  (Prathen) 
Case.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sparger  four 
children  have  been  born,  namely:  Margaret,  Ran- 
dall W.,  Collier  B.,  and  Eloise.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sparger  are  members  of  the  Central  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  South.  Politically  Mr. 
Sparger  is,  identified  with  the  republican  party, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs.  He 
has  served  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  and  as  a  delegate  to  numerous  dis- 
trict, county  and  state  conventions.  During  tlie 
time  that  he  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  the  county  voted  10  per  cent  for 
good  roads  and  built  one  of  the  best  courthouses 
in  the  state  at  the  cost  of  $120,000.  Seventy  steel 
and  concrete  bridges  were  also  built  in  the  county. 
Having  the  county  demonstrated  for  improved 
farming  industries  and  an  assistant  lady  county 
demonstrator  to  improve  such  industries  as  canning 
fruit,  etc.,  was  due  to  Mr.  Sparger 's  influence. 

Hon.  Gideon  Hill  Hastings.  One  of  the  fore- 
most members  of  the  Winston-Salem  bar,  Hon. 
Gideon  Hill  Hastings,  has  won  his  position  through 
no  happy  chance.  His  career  from  the  time  he  left 
college  halls  has  been  one  of  constant  apjilication 
and  sturdy  industry,  of  success  well  and  worthily 
won.  Besides  serving  a  large  clientage  he  has 
also  accepted  the  call  of  public  responsibilities  and 
made  an  efficient  record  while  a  member  of  the 
Legislature. 

He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Abbotts  Creek  Town- 
ship of  Forsyth  County,  and  his  ancestors  came 
out  of  England,  first  locating  in  New  England, 
and  from  there  going  to  Pennsylvania.  Some  of 
the  later  generations  spelled  the  name  Hasten. 
Mr.  Hastings '  grandfather  was  born  either  in 
Pennsylvania  or  in  Granville  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. Prom  the  latter  locality  he  removed  to 
Stokes  County,  buying  land  in  Abbotts  Creek 
Township.  He  had  some  slaves  and  worked  his 
farm  with  their  labor.  In  that  community  he 
continued  to  live  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  mar- 
ried a  Miss  McElroy. 

John  Hastings,  father  of  Gideon  H.,  was  born 
in  1812.  He  became  a  man  of  substantial  means 
and  distinguished  himself  by  much  enterprise.  He 
bought  upwards  of  six  hundred  acres  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  roads  leading  from  Salisbury  to  Dan- 
bury  and  from  Winston  to  Greensboro.  To  accom- 
modate the  large  traffic  passing  this  crossroads 
point  he  kept  both  a  tavern  and  a  store.  In  1860 
he  sold  the  tavern  and  with  it  about  150  acres  of 
land.  Soon  afterward  he  built  a  large  country 
home  about  a  mile  northeast  of  the  old  tavern,  and 
there  applied  himself  entirely  to  farming.  This 
was  his  liome  until  his  death  in  1886,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four.  His  first  wife  was  Susan  Payne, 
who  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  North  Carolina, 
daughter  of  Franklin  Payne.  She  died  in  1874. 
The  mother  of  Gideon  H.  Hastings  was  Louisa 
Whicker.  She  was  born  in  Forsyth  County,  daugh- 
ter of  Oliphant  and  Jane  (Wilson)  Whicker.  She 
died  in  1917.  They  reared  three  children:  Bertha, 
Gideon  H.  and  Raliah  L.  Bertha  is  the  wife  of 
C.  R.  Atkins.  Ral.iah  L.  now  occupies  the  old 
homestead  and  lives  with  his  mother.  By  his  first 
marriage  John  Hastings  had  five  children,  named 
Jane,   .lulia,   Almah,   Constantino   B.   and   John   R. 

The  early  environment  to  which  he  was  accus- 


tomed as  a  boy  Mr.  Hastings  found  in  tlie  rural 
district  where  his  father  had  his  farming  interests. 
There  he  attended  a  rural  school,  afterward  Ker- 
nerswlle  High  School,  and  his  education  was  con- 
tinued through  Yadkin  Valley  Institute  at  Boon- 
ville  and  in  Elon  College.  Teaching  was  one  of 
his  early  experiences,  and  by  that  vocation  he 
earned  some  of  the  means  which  enabled  him  to 
prepare  for  the  bar.  He  taught  his  first  term  of 
school  in  Abbotts  Creek  Township.  For  one  year 
he  had  charge  of  the  graded  schools  in  Kerners- 
ville. 

Mr.  Hastings  studied  law  at  Wake  Forest  Col- 
lege and  in  the  Nashville  Law  School.  He  gradu- 
ated from  the  latter  school  in  1900  and  was 
admitted  to  the  North  Carolina  bar  in  1901.  In 
1902  Mr.  Hastings  removed  to  Winston  and  since 
that  date  has  been  steadily  increasing  his  reputa- 
tion as  a  reliable  and  safe  counselor  and  a  lawyer 
who  gives  an  efficient  service  to  every  interest 
intrusted  to  his  charge. 

In  li)02,  the  year  he  began  practice  at  Winston, 
Mr.  Hastings  married  Miss  Betty  Linville.  Mrs. 
Hastings  was  born  at  Kernersville  in  Forsyth 
County,  daughter  of  William  S.  and  Mary  Lin- 
ville. Two  children  have  been  born  to  their  union, 
Louise  and  Elizabeth. 

For  years  Mr.  Hastings  has  been  a  leader  in 
the  democratic  party  in  his  section  of  the  state. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  in 
1907-08.  For  six  years  he  served  as  municipal 
judge  of  Winston-Salem,  and  in  1905  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  While  in  the 
Legislature  he  was  a  member  of  the  judiciary 
committee  and  the  committee  on  state  institutions 
and  of  several  minor  committees.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Salem  Lodge  No.  27,  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Twin  City  Camp  No.  27,  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  and  Kernersville  Council  of  the 
Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics. 

William  Louis  Poteat.  A  scientist  and  Chris- 
tian educator,  William  Louis  Poteat  has  been  pres- 
ident of  that  old  and  honored  North  Carolina 
institution  of  higher  learning.  Wake  Forest  College, 
since  June  22,  1905.  He  has  been  identified  with 
the  college  in  some  capacity  beginning  as  a  tutor, 
for  over  thirty-five  years.  His  work  and  attaint 
ments  have  made  his  name  vridely  known  not  only 
over  his  native  state  but  in  various  American  cen- 
ters of  learning. 

He  was  born  in  Caswell  County,  North  Carolina, 
October  20,  1856,  a  son  of  Capt.  James  and  Julia 
A.  (McNeill)  Poteat.  His  father,  also  a  native  of 
Caswell  County,  was  a  substantial  planter  in  that 
section  of  the  state.  His  brother,  Edwin  McNeill 
Poteat,  1903-18  was  president  of  Furman  Univer- 
sity at  Greenville,  South  Carolina,  resigning  in 
June,  1918,  and  was  a  recognized  leader  in  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention.  His  sister.  Miss  Ida 
Poteat,  has  been  Professor  of  Art  in  Meredith 
College  since  its  founding  in  1899. 

As  a  boy  William  Louis  Poteat  was  instructed 
by  private  tutors  in  his  father 's  home.  He  was 
jirepared  for  college  in  Miss  Lowndes '  scho'ol  in 
Yanceyville,  and  from  1872  to  1877,  excepting  the 
session  187.''.-74,  was  a  student  in  Wake  Forest  Col- 
lege, where  he  graduated  in  the  classical  course 
and  witli  the  degree  B.  A.  In  1889  the  college  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  Master  of  Arts  degree.  Other 
scholastic  honors  have  come  to  him  in  later  years. 
Baylor  University  of  Waco,  Texas,  honored  him 
witli  the  degree  LL.  D.  in  1905,  and  he  received  a 
similar  honor  from  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina in  1906. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


His  first  intention  was  to  take  up  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  he  began  the  stuily  of  law,  Imt  in  the 
year  following  his  graduation  from  Wake  Forest  he 
was  appointed  a  tutor,  in  1878,  and  since  that  year 
has  been  continuously  a  member  of  the  faculty 
of  instruction.  In  1880  he  was  made  assistant  pro- 
fessor of  natural  history,  and  in  1883  took  the  chair 
of  biology,  which  he  still  holds  in  addition  to  his 
executive  responsibilities  as  president. 

In  the  meantime  he  has  pursued  his  special 
studies,  spending  a  short  time  in  the  Zoological 
In.stitute  of  the  University  of  Berlin,  and  also  took 
courses  in  the  Marine  Biological  Laboratory  at 
Woods  Hole,  Massachusetts.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  North  Carolina  Academy  of  Sciences,  of  which 
he  was  president  in  1902,  and  is  author  of  ' '  Labora- 
tory and  Pulpit,"  published  in  1901,  and  of  "The 
New  Peace,"  published  in  1915.  For  years  he  has 
been  a  lecturer  on  scientific  and  religious  subjects. 

From  April,  1897,  to  May,  1899,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  North  Carolina  State  Board  of  Ex- 
aminers and  in  1914  a  member  of  the  Special 
Freight  Rate  Commission.  In  March,  1900,  he 
was  lecturer  on  the  Gay  Foundation  at  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary  in  Louisville,  during 
1904-05  was  Brooks  lecturer  on  science  and  re- 
ligion in  the  Hamilton  Theological  Seminary  at 
Hamilton,  New  York,  and  in  1915  Lewis  Holland 
lecturer  in  the  Southwestern  Baptist  Theological 
Seminary,  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  In  1897  he  was 
president  of  the  North  Carolina  Teachers  Assembly, 
and  in  190.3  was  elected  president  of  the  North  Car- 
olina Literary  and  Historical  Association.  He  has 
contributed  a  number  of  his  writings  to  scientific 
and  religious  journals. 

On  June  24,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Emma  J. 
Purefoy  of  Wake  Forest,  a  daughter  of  Eev.  A.  F. 
Purefoy. 

James  Arthur  Springer  is  one  of  the  oldest 
men  from  the  standpoint  of  continuous  identifica- 
tion in  the  coal  industry  of  North  Carolina.  He 
has  had  his  home  at  Wilmington  for  many  years, 
and  is  widely  known  as  president  of  the  Springer 
Coal  Company,  and  is  also  actively  identified  with 
banks  and  other  enterprises. 

He  was  born  in  Aroostook  County,  Maine, 
December  16,  1847,  a  son  of  James  Hobart  and 
Clara  (Wat.son)  Springer.  His  father  was  a 
lumber  manufacturer,  and  from  Maine  brought 
his  family  to  North  Carolina  in  1855,  spending 
two  years  in  Martin  County,  and  again  coming  to 
the  state  in  1860. 

James  A.  Springer  was  educated  chiefly  in  the 
schools  of  North  Carolina,  and  after  the  war  he 
engaged  in  the  coal  business,  and  in  187.3  e.stab- 
lished  the  Springer  Coal  Company,  which  he 
incorporated  in  1905.  He  is  president  of  that 
company,  is  president  and  treasurer  and  was 
organizer  of  the  Independent  Ice  Company  of 
Wilmington,  a  business  that  was  estahlislied  in 
1901,  is  a  director  of  the  Mur^hison  National 
Bank,  of  the  People's  Savings  Bank,  of  the 
[Delgado  Mills,  and  is  secretary  of  the  Cape 
Fear  Machine  Works. 

His  active  co-operation  goes  with  every  civic  and 
benevolent  movement  in  his  home  city  and  state. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Oakdale  Cemetery  Company  and  is  a  ruling  elder 
in  the  First  Presbyterian   Church   of  Wilmington. 

On  November  27,  1873,  Mr.  Springer  married 
Miss  Agnes  L.  Struthers,  of  Colnmbus  County, 
North  Carolina.  Their  two  sons  are  now  grown 
and    active    business    men.      Horace    David    is    in 


New  York  City,  while  Samuel  Jennings  is  with 
the  Sjjringer  Coal  Company  and  is  treasurer  of 
the  company. 

Charles  A.  Hines.  By  his  capable  service  as  an 
attorney  and  a  record  of  obligations  and  responsi- 
bilities fully  performed  and  capably  discharged 
Mr.  Hines  has  for  a  number  of  years  been  recog- 
nized as  one  of  Greensboro 's  most  useful  and 
honored  citizens.  He  is  a  native  of  Guilford 
County,  has  spent  all  his  active  career  here,  and 
represents  one  of  the  old  and  honored  family 
names. 

Mr.  Hines  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Madison  Town- 
ship of  Guilford  County.  The  earliest  genera- 
tions of  the  family  were  from  Virginia.  His 
great-grandfather  died  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  while 
tlie  War  of  1812  was  in  progress  and  at  a  time 
when  that  city  was  quarantined  because  of  yellow 
fever.  The  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  William  Hines,  a  native  of  Norfolk, 
who  in  young  manhood  came  to  Guilford  County, 
and  developed  a  large  plantation  in  Madison  Town- 
ship. Eventually  his  accumulations  were  repre- 
sented by  hundreds  of  acres  of  land  and  prior  to 
the  war  he  owned  many  slaves  who  cultivated  his 
fields  and  did  the  various  industries  of  the  planta- 
tion. He  died  when  eighty  years  of  age.  Grand- 
father Hines  married  Mary  Lilly  DeVault.  Her 
name  suggests  French  origin,  but  her  immediate 
ancestors  must  have  lived  in  the  Netherlands, 
since  she  was  trained  to  speak  the  Dutch  lan- 
sniage  and  always  read  faithfully  her  Dutch  Bible. 
She  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  the  mother  of 
ten  sons  and  five  daughters.  Eight  of  the  sons 
srrew  to  maturity,  five  of  them,  Ezekiel  D.,  Gideon 
D.,  Alfred,  Newton  and  William,  being  soldiers 
in  the  Confederate  army.  Alfred  and  Newton 
gave  uT)  their  lives  as  sacrifices   to  the  cause. 

Ezekiel  DeVault  Hines  was  born  in  Madison 
Township  in  1836.  He  had  a  district  school  educa- 
tion, also  attended  Monticello  Academy,  but  in- 
stead of  adopting  a  profession  he  determined  to 
devote  himself  to  farming.  He  was  thus  engaged 
when  the  war  broke  out  and  he  enlisted  and  served 
in  a  Confederate  regiment,  as  did  his  other  four 
brothers,  and  added  something  to  the  luster  of 
the  family  military  record.  After  the  war  he 
resumed  farming,  buying  300  acres  from  his  father 
and  in  the  course  of  time  he  had  one  of  the  well 
improved  and  valuable  farms  of  Madi.son  Town- 
ship. He  erected  good  buildings,  kept  his  culti- 
vation up  to  the  most  advanced  standards  and 
methods,  and  enjoyed  high  repute  among  his 
neighbors  and  friends.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four  years.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Isabel  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Bockingham 
County,  a  daushter  of  Josiah  T.  and  Mary  Jane 
(Moore)  Wright.  Mrs.  Isabel  Hines  is  now  living 
in  Raleigh.  She  reared  four  children,  named 
Charles  A.,  Lacy  D.,  Hattie,  wife  of  L.  R.  Fair, 
and   Paisley   T. 

Charles  A.  Hines'  earliest  recollections  are  all 
of  the  home  farm.  While  a  boy  he  attended  dis- 
trict schools,  was  a  student  in  Jefferson  Academy, 
at  Elon  Collese.  and  from  there  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  tlniversitv  of  North  Carolina. 
Mr.  Hines  was  licensed  to  practice  in  February, 
1908,  and  the  subsequent  ten  years  have  been  busy 
ones  and  fruitful  in  experience  and  have  brought 
him  to  a  position  of  leadership  in  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal cities  of  the  state.  During  the  first  two 
years  of  his  law  practice  he  was  associated  with 
Judge  Shaw. 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


In  November,  1912,  Mr.  Hiues  married  Miss  Ida 
Edwards  Wiustead,  who  was  born  at  Koxboro, 
Person  County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  fcJ.  B. 
ami  Ida  (Satterlield)  Winstead.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hiues  have  oue  daughter,  Dorothy  Byrd. 

Along  with  the  hiw  Mr.  Hiues  has  combined  an 
active  interest  and  a  dutitul  attention  to  public 
affairs  and  politics.  He  is  chairman  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  of  the  democratic  party  in  Guilford 
County  and  is  a  member  of  the  State  Executive 
Committee.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  Cor- 
inthian Lodge  No.  o42,  Ancient  Eree  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Greensboro  Council  No.  13,  Junior  Order 
of  United  American  Mechanics;  Greensboro  Camp 
No.  26.  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  is  commandant 
of  the  local  camp  of  the  Sous  of  Confederate 
Veterans. 

Cornelius  Monroe  Vanstory.  The  City  of 
Greensboro  has  long  recognized  in  Cornelius  Mon- 
roe Vanstory  one  of  its  ablest  and  public  spirited 
citizens  as  well  as  one  of  its  most  capable  busi- 
ness men.  Mr.  Vanstory  has  never  desired  to  figure 
iu  pubbc  life  through  the  medium  of  politics,  and 
has  rendered  his  chief  service  iu  those  positions 
and  capacities  which  are  usually  without  any  re- 
muneration and  involve  milimited'  work  whicli 
oftentimes  goes  absolutely  unappreciated.  Mr. 
Vanstory  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  Masons  of 
North  Carolina. 

He  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, a  son  of  John  Henry  and  Kate  B.  (Gordon) 
Vanstory.  Grandfather  Dr.  Cornelius  M.  Vanstory 
was  for  many  years  a  practicing  physician  iu  Guil- 
ford County.  He  was  descended  from  a  family  of 
sturdy  Hollanders.  John  H.  Vanstory  was  a  North 
Carolina  farmer  and  spent  all  his  life  in  Guilford 
County.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Woodson 
and  Mary  (Greene)  Gordon.  Her  grandfather 
Gordon  served  as  a  general  in  the  Revolutionary 
war: 

Cornelius  M.  Vanstory  grew  up  in  the  atmos- 
]ihere  of  the  country,  had  a  good  business  educa- 
tion, and  when  a  young  man  sought  the  bigger 
and  broader  opportunities  of  commercial  life.  At 
Greensboro  he  entered  merchandising,  acquired  a 
thorough  experience  and  then  founded  the  Van- 
story clothing  business  which  has  grown  and  pros- 
pered and  is  now  one  of  the  largest  enterprises 
of  its  kind  in  Guilford  County.  Out  of  his  suc- 
cess as  a  merchant  Mr.  Vanstory  has  extended  his 
interests  to  other  fields  and  has  acquired  a  large 
amount  of  city  property.  He  is  a  director  of  the 
Greensboro  National  Bank,  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Examiners  of  the  Greensboro  Loan  and  Trust 
Company,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Vanstory  & 
Balsley,  real  estate,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Mer- 
chants' and  Manufacturers'  Club  of  the  Young 
Men  's  Christian  Association. 

His  affiliations  with  Masonry  deserve  a  brief 
paragraph  by  themselves.  He  is  a  member  of 
Corinthian  Lodge  No.  .542,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  of  which  he  is  past  master;  of  Chorazen 
Cliapter  No.  13,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  which  he 
is  past  high  priest;  of  Greensboro  Council  No.  3, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters;  Ivanhoe  Commandery 
No.  S.  Knights  Templar,  of  which  he  is  past  grand 
commander;  Carolina.  Consistory  No.  1  of  the 
Scottish  Rite  at  Charlotte;  Oasis  Temple  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  at  Charlotte  and  also  Haji  Mecca 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  New  York.  In 
191.5-16  he  served  as  grand  commander  of  the 
National  Knights  Templar  of  the  United  States. 
He  is  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the 


Masonic  and  Eastern  Star  Home  of  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Mr.  Vanstory  is  also  affiliated  with  Greensboro 
Lodge  No.  602,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  which  he  is  now  exalted  ruler,  and  is  a  past 
chancellor  of  the  local  lodge  of  Knights  of 
Pythias. 

As  a  public  spirited  citizen  there  has  been  noth- 
ing m  Mr.  Vanstory  's  lite  which  would  expose  him 
to  the  slightest  danger  of  being  held  up  as  a 
' '  slacker. ' '  He  has  always  been  willing  to  do  his 
part,  though  practical  politics  has  never  been  a 
really  congenial  field.  He  was  for  several  years 
a  member  of  the  City  School  Board,  and  during 
the  present  war  with  Germany  in  1917-18  he  holds 
a  position  through  appointment  and  commission 
from  Governor  Bickett  as  chairman  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  Defense  for  Guilford  Coimty,  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  transportation,  and  chairman  of 
the  county  food  administration. 

November  17,  1887,  Mr.  Vanstory  married  Miss 
Cora  McLane  Moore.  She  was  born  in  Greens- 
boro, daughter  of  Maj.  James  Roljert  and  Nar- 
cisa  (Unthank)  McLane.  Her  father.  Major  Mc- 
Lane, was  an  attorney  and  for  several  years  a 
member  of  the  Greensboro  bar  and  prominent  iu 
public  affairs.  During  the  war  he  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Confederate  Congress.  Mrs.  Van- 
story was  the  adopted  daughter  of  W.  S.  Moore. 
To  their  marriage  have  been  born  the  following 
children:  Robert  Moore,  who  is  in  the  artillery 
service,  United  States  army,  at  Camp  Zachany 
Taylor;  Mary  Carolina,  Ruth  McLane,  Jennie 
Scales,  Cornelius  M.,  Jr.,  and  William  A.  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  E.  C.  Elzemeyer  and  Ruth  married  R. 
R.  King,  Jr.,  and  has  one  daughter,  the  only 
grandchild  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vanstory. 

Rev.  Ernest  Hall  Stockton  is  secretary  and 
treasurer  for  the  Southern  Province  of  the  Mora- 
vian Church  in  America  and  is  also  secretary  of 
the  congregation  of  the  United  Brethren  of  Salem 
and  vicinity.  He  has  spent  his  life  in  Western 
North  Carolina,  and  his  people  have  for  genera- 
tions been  actively  identified  with  the  Moravian 
Church  both  in  tins  state  and  in  Pennsylvania. 
Some  of  his  ancestors  were  among  the  pioneer 
Moravians  in  Western  North  Carolina. 

Mr.  Stockton  was  born  at  Salem  on  August  28, 
1876.  His  great-grandfather,  Daughty  Stockton, 
was  born  probably  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey  of 
English  ancestry.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  North  Caro- 
lina, and  owned  and  occupied  a  farm  on  the  state 
road  between  Winston  and  Greensboro.  He  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Perkins.  Grandfather  John  Branch 
Stockton  was  born  on  the  old  farm  in  Forsyth 
County  and  became  a  merchant  at  Kernersville  iu 
that  county.  After  some  years  he  removed  to 
Winston-Salem  and  kept  a  general  store  there 
until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three.  He 
married  Martha  McGehee.  She  was  born  at  Farm- 
ville  in  Prince  Edward  County,  Virginia,  daugliter 
of  Micajah  and  Martha  (Venable)  McGehee.  Her 
parents  on  coming  to  North  Carolina  settled  near 
Madison  in  Rockingham  County.  John'  B.  Stock- 
ton and  wife  had  six  sons :  Joseph  H.,  William  D., 
Charles  B.,  Natlian  G.,  John  G.  and  Madison  D. 

John  Gilliam  Stockton,  father  of  Ernest  II. 
was  born  on  a  farm  near  Kernersville  in  Forsyth 
County  October  20,  1855.  From  the  farm  he 
came  in  early  youth  to  Salem  to  clerk  in  the 
store  of  his  brother,  and  after  a  few  years  engaged 
in  the  confectionery  business  for  himself  on  Main 
Street.    His  store  was  near  the  Court  House.  Later 


86 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


he  entered  the  emploj'  of  D.  H.  Kiug,  in  the  coal 
and  ice  business,  and  continued  to  be  associated 
with  Mr.  King  until  his  death  in  1893,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-eight.  He  was  married  in  1875  to 
Florence  Estelle  Hall. 

Florence  Estelle  Hall  was  born  at  Salem,  daugh- 
ter of  William  Henry  and  Ernestine  Augusta 
(Veirling)  Hall  and  sister  of  Eev.  James  Ernest 
Hall,  a  sketch  of  wliom  appears  in  this  work. 

Jolm  G.  Stockton  and  wife  reared  four  chil- 
dren: Ernest  Hall,  Gertrude  E.,  Florence  E. 
and  John  D. 

Ernest  Hall  Stockton  had  the  advantages  of  the 
public  schools  as  a  boy,  but  at  the  early  age  of 
fifteen  became  self  supporting.  He  was  employed 
by  the  Eoanoke  &  Southern  Railway  Company,  and 
later  was  with  the  Norfolk  &  Western  Railroad. 
He  was  continuously  in  railroad  service  until  he 
resigned  to  accept  his  present  responsibilities  with 
the  Moravian  Church  of  North  Carolina. 

Rev.  Mr.  Stockton  was  married  December  14, 
1897,  to  Miss  Minnie  Louise  Tesh.  She  was  born 
at  SaJem,  daughter  of  Romulus  and  Louisa 
(Teague)  Tesh.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stockton  have  six 
children:  Flavella,  Blanche,  Edwin,  Carrie  May, 
Mary  and  Gertrude.  Mr.  Stockton  is  affiliated 
with  Salem  Lodge  No.  289,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons. 

William  Pepper  Phillips  has  been  identified 
with  the  cotton  mill  industry  in  North  Carolina 
si'nce  boyhood,  learning  it  as  a  boy  operative,  and 
for  the  past  twenty-five  years  has  been  identified 
with  The  Erwin  C5otton  Mills  Com"any  m  their 
extensive  plant  and  manufactories  at  West  Durha-n 

Mr.  Phillips  was  born  in  Alamance  County,  North 
Carolina,  November  2,  186:',  a  son  of  James  and 
Rebecca  (Turner)  Phillips.  His  father  was  a 
farmer.  The  son  grew  up  on  a  farm,  living  in  a 
country  community  until  he  was  twenty-one,  and 
his  education  was  largely  secured  through  a  private 
school  conducted  by  William  Thompson,  a  well 
known  educator  of  that  day.  He  entered  a  cotton 
mill  and  spent  three  years  in  the  carding  depart- 
ment and  from  there  entered  tlie  dye  house,  and  it 
has  been  in  the  dyeing  branches  of  the  business 
that  he  has  gained  his  chief  fame  as  an  expert.  He 
tas  been  and  for  twenty-five  years  was  an  overseer 
■of  dye  houses.  He  moved  to  Durham,  North  Car- 
olina, in  April,  189.3,  and  was  chief  dyer  for  the 
Erwin  Cotton  Mills  Company  until  1907,  when  he 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  Mill  No.  1.  His 
services  have  also  been  required  in  a  number  of  the 
other  mills  owned  by  The  Erwin  Company,  and  he 
is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  iirominent  men  in 
■cotton  mill  circles  in  North  Carolina  today. 

Mr.  Phillips  has  exerted  himself  in  a  public 
spirited  way  toward  the  upbuilding  of  his  com- 
munity at  West  Durham,  is  chairman  of  the  board 
of  deacons  in  the  Baptist  Church  there,  and  is  affil- 
iated with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Junior  Order 
of  Tnited  American  Mechanics.  May  19,  1889,  he 
married  Mary  Elizabeth  Edwards  of  Orange 
County,  North  Carolina.  They  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  Lucile,  William  Pepper,  Jr., 
Callie  Rebecca,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Edward  L., 
Catherine,  Margaret  Jasemine,  and  Elmina,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years. 

Henry  Clay  Stokes.  It  is  both  encouraging 
and  interesting  to  trace  a  career  fulfilling  ambi- 
tious holies  that  has  had  for  its  foundation  stones 
industry   and   business   integrity.      There   may   be 


little  of  romance  to  adorn  either,  but  the  satisfy- 
ing results  that  accrue  will  far  outdistance  those 
won  through  a  young  man 's  easier  choice,  or  his 
less  conscientious  attitude  in  relation  to  his  deal- 
ings with  his  fellow  men.  Among  Hartford's 
prominent,  useful  and  truly  representative  citizens 
none  are  held  in  higher  regard  tlian  Henry  Clay 
Stokes,  who  is  i>resident  of  the  Farmers  Bank  & 
Trust  Company  of  Hertford.  He  is  a  Hertford 
■ '  boy ' '  and  there  have  been  many  who  have 
watched  with  commendation  his  steady  advance 
from  a  minor  place  in  a  business  house  to  one  that 
places  him  at  the  liead  of  one  of  the  important 
financial  institutions  of  Eastern  North  Carolina. 

Henry  Clay  Stokes  was  born  at  Hertford,  North 
Carolina,  November  12,  1876.  His  parents  were 
Henry  Clay  and  Elizabetli  (Tow)  JStokes.  The 
father  has  been  engaged  in  business  at  Hertford 
for  many  years,  as  an  undertaker,  harness  manu- 
facturer and  in  other  lines,  one  of  the  city 's 
honorable,   dependable  men. 

Educational  facilities  have  never  been  lacliing 
in  Hertford  since  its  village  days  and  in  the  boy- 
hood and  youth  of  Mr.  Stokes  Hertford  Academy 
offered  many  advantages.  When  fifteen  years  old 
the  youth  accepted  a  clerkship  with  M.  H.  White 
&  Company,  general  merchants,  and  through  indus- 
try and  integrity  was  soon  promoted  as  his  busi- 
ness ability  became  more  and  more  evident  and 
finally  he  became  a  member  of  tlie  firm,  the  style 
later  becoming  White  &  Company.  Mr.  Stokes 
was  recognized  as  one  of  the  city 's  most  able 
merchants  and  an  important  factor  in  the  com- 
mercial life  of  Hertford. 

Later  Mr.  Stokes  turned  his  attention  to  the 
financial  field  and  with  other  capitalists  organized 
the  Farmers  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  of  which  he 
has  since  been  president.  He  is  interested  also  in 
the  Hertford  Hardware  &  Supply  Company,  of 
which  he  is  vice  president,  and  in  minor  enter- 
prises of  more  or  less  importance.  In  all  of  these 
ccncerns  and  in  his  activities  in  other  directions 
liis  actions  have  been  characterized  by  the  ad- 
lierence  to  principles  which  have  won  for  him  the 
unqualified  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow 
men. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  married  September  7,  1915,  to 
Miss  Ruth  A.  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Virginia. 
They  have  one  daughter,  whom  they  have  named 
J  oyee. 

While  Mr.  Stokes  has  been  closely  identified 
with  the  city's  important  business  interests,  he 
lias  always  been  an  active  citizen,  deeply  interested 
in  Hertford's  development  and  giving  his  support 
to  undertakings  which  he  has  deemed  beneficial  to 
tiie  community.  His  fellow  citizens  have  recog- 
nized his  sincerity  and  ability  by  electing  him  to 
responsible  offices,  and  he  served  five  years  as 
chairman  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners, 
and  for  six  years,  or  until  he  resigned,  he  was 
a  memljer  of  the  Hertford  Town  Board,  and  at 
present  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Control. 

Hon.  Thomas  Lenoik  Gwtn.  A  man  of  in- 
defatigable enterprise  and  unciuestioned  business 
sagacity  and  foresight,  Hon.  Thomas  Lenoir  Gwyn, 
of  Elkin,  Surry  County,  has  accomplished  a  satis- 
factory work  as  farmer  and  miller,  and  is  now 
living  retired  from  active  pursuits,  enjoying  not 
only  the  comforts,  but  many  of  the  luxuries,  _  of 
modern  life.  He  was  born  in  Elkin,  November 
9,  1842,  son  of  Richard  Gwyn,  and  grandson  of 
James  Gwyn,  a  pioneer  settler  of  Wilkes  County. 


Uaa^  o^^iA.'^jvjy  vw 


1  '■ 


vAT'.ONi 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


87 


The  Gwyu  family  is  of  Welsh  origin,  the  irn- 
migraut  ancestor  having  euiigrated  from  Wales  to 
America  in  1610.  He  located  in  Virginia,  and, 
according  to  tradition,  while  exploring  the  coast 
along  the  Chesapeake  Bay  he  saved  the  beautiful 
Indian  maiden,  Pocahontas,  from  drowning  while 
she  was  attempting  to  swim  from  the  coast  to  an 
island.  Wishing  to  express  her  gratitude,  she,  in 
the  name  of  her  father,  Powhatan,  presented  to 
him  the  island,  which  for  many  years  thereafter 
was  known  as  Gn-yn  Island. 

Born  and  bred  in  Brunswick  County,  Virginia, 
James  Gwyu  came  from  there  to  North  Caro- 
lina, locating  in  Wilkes  County,  in  pioneer  times. 
Purchasing  a  large  tract  of  heavily  timbered  land, 
in  which  was  included  the  present  site  of  Bonda, 
he  erected  a  substantial  house,  and  with  the  aid 
of  his  slaves  cleared  and  improved  a  good  farm, 
on  which  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Martha  Leijoir,  was 
the  daughter  of  Thomas  Lenoir,  a  soldier  in  the 
Eevolutionary  army. 

Born  in  Wilkes  County,  North  Carolina,  near 
the  present  site  of  Eonda,  in  1796,  Richard  Gwyn 
■was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  early  became 
familiar  with  farm  work.  Soon  after  attaining 
his  majority,  he  embarked  in  mercantile  pursuits 
on  his  own  account  in  Jonesville,  Yadkin  County. 
While  thus  employed  he  invested  his  surplus  money 
in  land,  buying  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yadkin 
River  a  large  tract,  which  included  the  present 
site  of  Elkin.  Par-seeing  and  enterprising,  he  im- 
proved the  waterpower  on  Elkin  Creek,  and  there 
built  a  grist  mill.  While  other  streams  in  the 
vicinity  frequently  went  dry,  Elkin  Creek  had  a 
iiever-failing  supply  of  water,  and  people  from 
afar,  even  as  far  distant  as  Salisbury,  brought 
their  corn  to  his  mill  to  be  ground,  often  time 
keeping  him  busy  grinding  every  day  and  niglit 
in  the  week,  including  Sundays.  He  subsequently 
built  a  cotton  mill  near  by,  the  first  mill  of  the 
iind  in  the  county,  and  operated  both  plants  for 
many  years.  On  the  north  side  of  Main  Street,  in 
Elkin,  he  erected  a  good  house,  and  there  resided 
until  his  death,  in  1884. 

Richard  Gwyn  married  Elizabeth  Hunt.  She 
was  Ijorn  in  Y'adkin  County,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Yadkin  River,  where  her  father,  Daniel  Hunt, 
a  life-long  resident  of  that  county,  was  an  exten- 
sive landholder,  and  operated  his  plantation  with 
slave  labor.  Nine  children  were  born  of  their 
■union,  as  follows;  Annie,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Columbus  B.  Franklin;  Richard  R. ;  James  D.; 
Hugh  A.;  Sallie,  who  married  Eufus  T.  Lenoir; 
Nathan  H.  and  Enoch  M.,  twins;  Elizabeth  M., 
who  married  Alexander  Chatham;  and  Thomas 
Lenoir. 

Scholarly  in  his  tastes  and  ambitions,  Thomas 
Lenoir  Gwyn  was  a  student  in  the  Jonesville  Acad- 
emy, when,  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Second  Battalion,  North  Carolina  Troops,  tlie  com- 
pany being  commanded  by  Capt.  G.  C.  Stowe,  while 
J.  C.  McRay  was  major  of  the  battalion.  Mr. 
Gwyu  had  assisted  in  raising  the  company,  and 
was  elected  lieutenant.  With  his  comrades,  he 
■went  to  Camp  Vance,  in  Burke  County,  this  state, 
for  drill,  from  there  going  to  Tennessee,  where  he 
took  an  active  part  in  the  siege  of  Knoxville, 
and  in  other  engagements  of  minor  importance. 
At  Cansbys  Creek,  Tennessee,  the  company  to 
■which  he  belonged  was  surrounded  by  the  enemy, 
and,  in  the  absence  of  the  captain  and  the  first 
lieutenant,  Mr.  Gwyn  led  the  company  in  its  dash 
through   the    enemy's   line.      Four   or   five   of   his 


comrades  were  killed,  while  the  remaining  men  of 
the  company,  with  the  exception  of  himself  and 
eight  others,  were  captured.  A  speeding  bullet 
took  a  jjiece  from  one  of  Mr.  Gwyn's  ears,  but 
he  was  thankful  to  escape  thus  easily.  Returning 
with  his  eight  companions  to  Salisbury,  North 
Carolina,  he  was  commissioned  adjutant  of  the 
Senior  Reserves,  and  was  detailed  to  guard  pris- 
oners, a  position  which  he  held  until  the  close  of 
the  conflict. 

Subsequently,  in  partnership  with  his  brother, 
R.  R.  Gwyn,  and  his  brother-in-law,  Alexander 
Chatham,  Mr.  Gwyn  eml)arked  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Elkin,  and  under  the  firm  name  of 
R.  R.  Gwyn  &  Company  built  up  an  extensive 
trade.  The  nearest  railway  point  at  that  time 
was  Winston,  and  all  goods  bought  by  the  firm 
had  to  be  transported  from  there  with  teams.  A 
few  years  later,  Mr.  Gwyu  formed  a  partnership 
with  W.  W.  Wood,  and  as  head  of  the  firm  of 
Gwyn,  Wood  &  Comjiany,  was  for  three  years 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  toljacco  in  Jones- 
■ville,  Yadkin  Coimty.  Afterward,  in  company 
with  his  brother-iu-law,  Alexander  Chatham,  he 
built  a  mill  in  Elkin,  and  embarked  in  a  new  in- 
dustry, not  only  manufacturing  woolen  blankets 
and  jeans,  but  doing  custom  spinning  and  weav- 
ing. 

Selling  out  his  interests  in  the  mill  to  his 
nephews,  Mr.  Gwyn,  in  188-1,  removed  to  Grayson 
County,  Virginia,  where,  from  Col.  Steven  Hale 
and  Capt.  John  Hale,  he  bought  a  large  farm. 
Building  a  flour  mill  on  the  place,  he  was  there 
engaged  in  milling  and  general  farming  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1912,  disposing  of  that  prop- 
erty, he  returned  to  Surry  County,  and  has  since 
lived  retired  at  his  pleasant  home  in  Elkin. 

Mr.  Gwyn  married,  April  3,  1867,  Amelia  J. 
Dickenson,  who  was  born  in  Hardeman  County, 
Tennessee,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Julia  (Thur- 
man)  Dickenson.  Her  father  removed  from  his 
home  in  New  River,  Tennessee,  to  Mississippi, 
where,  during  the  Civil  war,  he  was  killed  by 
Federal  soldiers.  Mrs.  Gwyn  passed  to  the  higher 
life  June  1,  1917.  She  reared  two  daughters, 
namely:  Sallie  J.,  who  married  N.  Van  Poindex- 
ter,  and  has  four  children,  Ohna,  Amelia,  Carrie 
Smith  and  Gwyn ;  and  Carrie,  who  married  Alex- 
ander M.  Smith,  and  died  in  early  womanhood. 

Mr.  Gwyu  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  to  which  Mrs.  Gwyn  also  belonged, 
and  he  has  served  as  steward,  and  as  a  delegate 
to  various  annual  conferences.  A  life-long  demo- 
crat in  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Gwyn  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Surry  County  board  of  Com- 
missioners for  eight  years,  and  in  1901  and  1902, 
while  a  resident  of  Virginia,  was  a  delegate  from 
Grayson  County  to  the  convention  that  formulated 
the  present  constitution  of  that  state. 

COL.  Jesse  Casper  Bessent  is  one  of  the  best 
known  citizens  of  Winston-Salem.  He  is  a  man 
of  genial  and  wholesome  characteristics,  with  an 
honorable  record  both  in  public  and  private  life, 
and  has  justified  every  confidence  reposed  in  him. 

Colonel  Bessent  is  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
and  his  family  was  established  here  before  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Colonel  Bessent 
was  born  at  Mocksville,  the  county  seat  of  Davie 
County,  North  Carolina,  February  3,  1855.  His 
grandfather,  Samuel  Bessent,  was  born  on  the 
Island  Alderny  in  the  English  Channel,  and  he  and 
a  brother  wei-e  the  only  members  of  the  family  to 
eome   to   America.     His   brother  settled  in   South 


88 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Carolina  and  his  descendants  now  live  in  that 
state  and  in  Georgia  and  Florida. 

Samuel  Bessent  brought  his  bride  to  America 
in  1795,  landing  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
and  going  tlieuee  to  Davie  County,  North  Carolina, 
•where  he  was  a  pioneer  settler.  His  remaining 
years  were  spent  as  a  farmer,  and  both  he  and  his 
wite  jjassed  their  last  days  in  the  home  of  their 
son  Eev.  C.  W.  Bessent.  Samuel  Bessent  lived 
to  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-seven,  and  his  wife 
w-as  ninety-five  when  she  died.  They  reared  three 
sons:  Calton  W.,  Ransom  P.  and  Samuel  A. 
CaJton  W.  became  a  well  known  minister  of  the 
Missionary  Baptist  Church,  while  E-ansom  was  a 
dental  practitioner. 

Samuel  A.  Bessent,  father  of  Colonel  Bessent, 
was  born  on  a  farm  seven  miles  south  of  ilocks- 
ville,  learned  the  trade  of  saddle  and  harness  mak- 
ing and  followed  that  as  his  vocation  during  his 
very  brief  career.  He  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six.  His  wife  was  Cassandra  Hendrix.  She  was 
born  at  Mocksville,  her  father,  Jesse  A.  Hendrix, 
was  born  in  the  same  county,  and  her  grand- 
father, David  Hendrix,  was  a  native  of  HoUand, 
coming  to  America  about  1785  and  establishing 
one  of  the  pioneer  homes  of  Davie  County.  Her 
grandfather  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer  and 
Jesse  Hendrix  followed  similar  occupations.  The 
house  built  by  Jesse  Hendrix,  a  two-story  log 
structure,  is  still  standing  on  a  farm  six  miles 
south  of  Mocksville.  Jesse  Hendrix,  who  spent  all 
his  life  in  his  native  county,  married  Elizabeth 
Feezcr,  who  was  also  of  Holland  descent.  Both  of 
them  attained  good  old  age.  Mrs.  Samuel  A.  Bes- 
sent died  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven.  Her  three  chil- 
dren were  Margaret,  Sarah  and  Jesse  C. 

As  the  Civil  war  broke  out  when  Colonel  Bessent 
was  about  six  years  of  age,  his  boyhood  was  spent 
in  a  time  when  it  was  difficult  if  not  impossible  to 
secure  those  advantages  of  education  which  obtain 
in  a  peaceful  civil  comuuinity.  Free  schools  were 
suspended  during  war  times,  and  his  education 
came  almost  entirely  from  such  schools  as  were 
supported  on  the  subscription  plan.  At  the  age  of 
thirteen  he  became  self  supporting,  beginning 
work  in  a  tobacco  factory  at  Mocksville.  Colonel 
Bessent  has  been  a  resident  of  Winston-Salem 
since  1874.  He  was  at  that  time  nineteen  years 
of  age,  and  he  continued  his  employment  in  a 
tobacco  factory  at  Winston-Salem  until  1882.  In 
that  year  he  was  elected  city  tax  collector  and 
constable,  and  those  oflScial  duties  engaged  his 
time  until  1892.  In  that  year  he  entered  the 
insurance  business,  which  he  still  follows.  In  1894 
he  was  elected  justice  of  the  jieace,  and  has  pre- 
sided over  his  court  and  administered  local  justice 
for  twenty-two  years. 

Colonel  Bessent  has  been  actively  identified  with 
the  National  Guard  of  North  Carolina  upwards  of 
thirty-five  years.  He  enlisted  March  28,  1878,  in 
Company  A,  Third  Begiment,  North  Carolina 
Guards.  He  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  June 
1,  1886,  to  captain  June  6,  1892.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Spanish-American  war  in  1898  he  wai 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  with  Com- 
pany C,  First  North  Carolina  Volunteers  and 
remained  with  his  command  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  mustered  out  in  April,  1899.  On 
June  26,  1899,  his  company  reorganized  as  Com- 
pany C  of  the  First  Ilegiment,  North  Carolina 
National  Guard,  and  he  was  the  choice  of  his  com- 
rades for  captain.  December  1,  1902,  he  was 
promoted  to  major,  and  to  lieutenant  colonel  on 
August  7,  1907.  in  1916  Colonel  Bessent  responded 


to  the  call  for  duty  on  the  Mexican  border,  but 
was  rejected  on  account  of  failing  eyesight.  He 
was  then  placed  upon  the  retired  list  subject  to 
call.  In  1912  Colonel  Bessent  was  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Guard  Association  held  in  Boston. 

In  18S2  Colonel  Bessent  married  Louisa  E. 
White,  who  was  born  in  Winston-Salem,  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.  A.  and  Louisa  White.  Colonel  Bessent 
takes  an  active  part  in  Masonry,  being  afliliated 
with  Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Fj-ee  and  Accepted 
Masons,  Winston  Chapter  No.  24,  Royal  Arch 
Masons,  and  Piedmont  Commandery  No.  6,  Knights 
Templar.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Salem  Lodge 
No.  36,  and  Salem  Encampment  No.  20,  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  grand  high  priest 
of  the  Grand  Encampment  of  Nortli  Carolina. 

While  the  activities  and  interests  described  are 
well  known  to  Colonel  Bessent 's  many  friends  and 
admirers  in  this  section  of  the  state,  he  is  known 
among  a  more  restricted  number  of  friends  as  an 
indefatigable  collector.  He  has  one  of  the  largest 
privately  owned  collections  of  paper  money  in 
North  Carolina.  It  represents  many  issues  of 
Colonial  currency,  also  issues  of  state  bariks  and 
of  the  Confederate  Government.  He  also  has  a 
collection  of  rare  coins  and  books. 

The  Dtjkham  Public  Libbart  is  an  institution 
which  by  its  service  justifies  some  special  mention 
in  this  publication.  It  has  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  free  public  library  in  the  state.  Contrary 
to  popular  opinion  there  may  be  such  a  thing  as  a 
jiublie  library  and  still  not  absolutely  free,  since 
the  patrons  and  users  of  the  books  must  meet 
certain  definite  fees  or  charges  for  the  service.  The 
Durham  Public  Library  was  the  first  in  the  state 
which  turned  its  books  over  to  the  public  without 
any  fee  for  the'  privileges. 

The  library  was  organized  in  1897,  and  as  then 
constituted  the  institution  is  a  monument  to  the 
efforts  and  generosity  of  Miss  Lida  Ruth  Carr 
(now  Mrs.  Patten  of  Kansas  City),  daughter  of 
Gen.  Julian  S.  Carr.  Miss  Carr  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
T.  M.  Martin  gave  the  site,  which  is  located  in  the 
central  part  of  the  city,  and  is  accessible  to  all 
residents. 

The  money  for  the  building  was  secured  by  popu- 
lar subscription,  and  there  was  a  generous  outpour- 
ing to  this  fund,  ranging  in  amount  from  a  few 
cents  to  many  dollars.  The  original  stock  of  books 
was  made  up  of  gifts  from  individuals  and  also 
from  purchases  made  by  popular  subscriptions.  The 
library  now  has  a  total  of  8,478  volumes.  Plans 
.ire  now  being  made  to  secure  a  gift  from  Andrew 
Carnegie  for  a  new  building. 

For  many  years  the  librarian  was  Mrs.  Sallie 
Rogers  Henderson,  who  though  not  specially  trained 
gave  e:scelient  and  unselfish  service  and  did  much 
to  realize  the  ideals  of  the  founders.  In  1911  the 
library  was  reorganized,  and  a  trained  librarian 
secured.  Mrs.  A.  F.  Griggs  is  librarian  and  has  had 
the  executive  administration  of  the  library  since 
1911.  Mrs.  Griggs,  whose  maiden  name  was  Lillian 
Baker,  was  born  in  Anderson,  South  Carolina,  and 
was  educated  in  Williamston  Female  College,  now 
Lander  College,  in  the  Agnes  Scott  College,  and 
took  her  technical  work  in  the  Carnegie  Library 
School  at  Atlanta.  Mrs.  Griggs  was  president  in 
1917-18  of  the  North  Carolina  Library  Association. 

Since  1914  the  privileges  of  the  library  have  been 
extended  to  the  rural  residents  of  the  county.  At 
that  time  the  board  of  town  commissioners  made 
an  annual  appropriation  to  the  library  of  $400,  and 
in  1917  this  was  increased  to  $600.    This  action  on 


*pT_T  p 


HISTOEY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


89 


the  part  of  the  commissioners  has  been  of  great 
service  and  benefit  to  the  county  schools  and 
teachers  and  t)ie  public  in  general.  As  things  now 
stand  the  library  is  supported  by  an  appropriation 
from  the  city  of  $1,750,  which  combined  with  the 
appropriation  by  the  county  makes  a  total  of 
$2,350. 

WillIjVM  Franklin  Clifton  Edwards.  Prom- 
inent in  lioth  business  aud  official  life,  William 
F.  C.  Edwards,  a  leading  citizen  of  Hertford,  is 
known  in  several  counties  in  Eastern  North  Caro- 
lina, and  in  Gates  County  owns  a  large  body  of 
ancestral  land  that  has  come  to  him  from  four 
generations  back.  He  is  particularly  well  known 
in  Perquimans  County  because  of  his  eiiieient 
administration  of  the  office  of  register  of  deeds, 
which  he  has  filled  continuously  for  the  past  four 
teen  years. 

William  F.  C.  Edwards  was  born  in  Gates 
County,  North  Carolina,  February  7,  1868.  His 
parents  were  John  Allen  and  Elizabeth  (Goodman) 
Edwards.  His  father  was  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  during  his  entii'e   active  life. 

After  a  period  of  private  schooling  Mr.  Edwards 
entered  the  Keynoldson  Male  Institute,  an  educa- 
tional institution  of  some  local  note,  and  after 
completing  a  course  there  became  a  clerk  in  a 
general  mercantile  store,  and  after  four  years  of 
business  experience  in  that  line,  embarked  in  the 
same  on  his  own  account  at  Winfall  in  Perqui- 
luans  County,  where  he  continued  until  189-3, 
when  he  came  to  Hertford.  He  engaged  hero  in 
a  general  mercantile  business  until  1900  and  then 
transferred  it  to  Winfall. 

In  1904,  when  elected  register  of  deeds  for 
Perquimans  County,  Mr.  Edwards  returued  to 
Hertford,  and  here  he  has  taken  an  active  and 
useful  part  in  civic  affairs,  being  universally 
looked  upon  as  a  man  of  sound  judgment  an'l 
practical  business  capacity.  Prior  to  returning  to 
Hertford  he  served  one  term  as  mayor  of  Winfall, 
and  subsequently  became  a  member  of  the  Hert- 
ford city  council,  during  which  interval  and  ever 
since  he  has  demonstrated  his  interest  in  the 
graded  schools  and  served  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  tlie  same  from  1911  to  1917. 
In  many  other  directions  the  interest  he  has  shown 
in  pul.ilic  measures  for  the  benefit  of  the  general 
public  has  been  very  helpful.  As  an  evidence  of 
the  confidence  and  public  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  in  Perquimans  may  be  cited  his  seven  elections 
to  the  office  he  so  admirably  fills. 

Mr.  Edwards  was  married  June  6,  1894,  to  Miss 
Pattie  Valentine  Rawlings,  who  was  born  in  Stokes 
County,  North  Carolina.  They  have  three  children, 
one  daughter  and  two  sons,  namely;  Mildred 
Elizabeth,  John  Rawliugs  and  Walter  Goodman. 
Mr.  Edwards  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Churcli 
while  his  wife  and  family  are  members  of  the 
Episcopal  Chur(?h.  Politically  he  is  a  staunch 
democrat,   and   fraternally   he  is   a.  Mason. 

Aside  from  his  other  interests  Mr.  Edwards  is 
a  man  of  independent  fortune  because  of  his 
large  and  profitable  land  holdings,  aggregating 
2.30  acres,  all  of  which  he  has  under  careful, 
scientific  cultivation.  Thirty  acres  lie  in  Per- 
quimans County,  while  200  acres  are  in  Gates 
County,  as  mentioned  above.  This  large  estate 
was  a  grant  from  the  government  made  to  his 
great-gi-eat-grandfather,  Harry  Goodman,  one  or 
the  early  settlers  in  that  county,  and  the  foumler 
of  a  family  that  through  the  ravages  of  war  aud 
many    periods    of    financial    stress    clung    to    the 


ancestral    home,    which    is    now    a    heritage    of    a 
hundred  times  its  original  value. 

Beverly  Sydnor  Jebman.  In  the  field  of  bank- 
ing Beverly  Sydnor  Jermau  is  easily  one  of  the 
foremost  men  of  North  Carolina.  He  has  been 
identified  with  the  banking  and  financial  life  of 
Raleigh  for  thirty-five  years  and  for  the  greater 
part  of  that  time  has  been  connected  with  the 
Commercial  National  Bank  of  Kaleigh,  of  which  he 
is  president.  Besides  his  record  as  a  constructive 
financier  the  people  of  his  home  city  admire  him 
for  his  equally  evident  public  spirit  and  devotion 
to  everything  that  affects  the  welfare  of  Raleigh. 

Of  a  fine  old  South  Carolina  family,  Beverly 
Sydnor  Jerman  was  born  November  4,  1861,  at 
Ridgeway,  Warren  County,  North  Carolina,  a  son 
of  Dr.  Thomas  Palmer  and  Lucy  Beverly  (Sydnor) 
Jerman.  In  spite  of  the  devastation,  wrought  by 
the  war  he  received  good  advantages  both  at  home 
and  in  the  Ridgeway  public  schools  and  the  Wil- 
liams Academy.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  came  to 
Raleigh  and  as  an  employe  of  the  Citizens  National 
Bank  soon  showed  unusual  capacity  for  every  duty 
entrusted  to  him  and  was  marked  as  a  rising  young 
man  in  the  financial  world. 

After  ten  years  with  the  Citizens  National  Bank 
Mr.  Jerman  in  1891  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
the  old  Coiumercial  aud  Farmers  Bank  of  Kaleigh. 
Capt.  J.  J.  Thomas  was  the  first  president,  Mr. 
Jerman  cashier,  and  H.  W.  Jackson  assistant 
cashiei-.  In  1908,  following  Captain  Thomas' 
death,  Mr.  Jerman  became  president  and  in  the 
same  year  the  institution  was  reorganized  as  the 
Commercial  National  Bank  of  Raleigh.  Few  banks 
in  the  state  have  had  a  more  prosperous  history 
than  the  Commercial  National  Bank.  It  began 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  which  has  been 
increased  to  $300,000,  and  tliere  is  a  surplus  of 
$140,000.  Since  Mr.  Jerman  became  president  its 
deposits  have  increased  from  $1,000,000  to  more 
than  $4,000,000.  Since  becoming  president  Mr. 
Jerman  has  also  brought  about  the  construction  of 
a  new  home  for  the  Commercial  National  Bank, 
and  this  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  modern 
office  buildings  in  North  Carolina,  the  banking 
room  being  considered  the  most  artistic  in  the 
country. 

The  determination,  integrity  and  judgment 
which  have  made  him  an  aide  banker  have  also 
brought  him  many  other  interests  in  the  business 
and  civic  affairs  of  Raleigh.  He  is  connected  with 
the  W.  H.  King  Drug  Company,  the  J.  M.  Pace 
Mule  Company,  the  North  Carolina  Home  Insur- 
ance Company,  Enterprise  Real  Estate  Company 
and  the  Parker-Hunter  Realty  Company.  In  a  pub- 
lic way  he  has  served  as  city  treasurer  and  com- 
missioner of  the  sinking  fund  and  his  assistance 
and  influence  have  more  than  once  been  instru- 
mental in  the  successful  carrying  out  of  movements 
instituted  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which 
he  is  an  active  member.  For  a  number  of  years 
Mr.  Jerman  has  been  treasurer  and  a  trustee  of 
the  Olivia  Raney  Library  at  Raleigh. 

Ho  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Cliurch,  belongs  to  the  National  Geographic 
Society,  the  Navy  League  of  the  United  States, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Coun- 
try Club  and  tlie  Capital  Club.  His  favorite  diver- 
sion is  fishing  and  it  is  said  that  he  rivals  in  skill 
and  patien.ce  anv  of  the  most  ardent  devotees  of 
that  pursuit.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Neuseco  and 
several  other  fishing  clubs. 

In  1888  Mr.  Jerman  married  Miss  Julia  Borden 


90 


HISTOKY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


of  Goldsboro.  By  that  marriage  he  has  one  son, 
William  Bordeu  of  Richmond,  Virginia.  In  1895 
he  married  Miss  Iss  belle  Montgomery  of  Concord, 
North  Carolina,  who  is  survived  by  a  daughter 
Miss  Julia  Borden.  In  1912  he  married  Miss  Edith 
Macdonald  of  Hamilton,  Ontario,  Canada.  They 
have  a  son  Donald  Sydnor  and  a  daughter  Edith 
Macdonald. 

Eev.  George  Willhii  Lay  is  one  of  the  promi- 
nent ministers  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  America 
and  for  thirty  years  has  devoted  his  time  pri- 
marily to  the  church  school,  which  is  a  real  depart- 
ment of  the  ministerial  profession.  Since  1907 
he  has  been  rector  of  St.  Mary  's  School  at  Raleigh. 

He  was  born  at  Huntsville,  Alabama,  February 
26,  1860,  a  son  of  Henry  Champlin  and  Eliza 
Withers  (Atkinson)  Lay.  Mr.  Lay's  ancestry 
might  be  classified  as  about  one-fourth  New 
England  and  three-foui'ths  Virginia.  It  includes 
many  families  and  individuals  who  have  been 
prominent  in  the  professions,  in  military  and  civil 
life,  since  Colonial  times.  He  is  descended  from 
John  Lay  who  settled  in  Lyme,  Connecticut,  in 
1648.  His  grandfather  John  Olmsted  Lay  repre- 
sented both  the  Lay  and  Olmsted  families  in  Con- 
necticut. Through  the  Olmsted  line  he  is  related 
to  Frederick  Law  Olmsted  and  also  to  the  two 
Bishops  Olmsted.  John  O.  Lay,  his  grandfather, 
married  Lucy  Anna  May,  who  was  descended  from 
the  May,  Fitzhugh,  Digges  and  Harrison  (Bran- 
don) families,  all  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Lay 's  father,  Rt.  Rev.  Henry  Champlin  Lay, 
was  made  missionary  bishop  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  Southwest  in  1859,  and  during  the 
Confederate  Government  was  bishop  of  Arkansas. 
From  1865  to  1869  he  was  missionary  bishop  in 
Arkansas,  and  at  the  latter  date  was  made  Bishop 
of  the  Diocese  of  Easton,  Maryland,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death  on  September  17,  1885. 

Mr.  Lay 's  mother,  Eliza  Withers  Atkinson,  was 
a  niece  of  Bishop  Thomas  Atkinson  of  North  Caro- 
lina. She  was  descended  from  the  Atkinsons, 
Pleasant,  Mayo,  Tabb,  Poythress,  Bland,  Randolph, 
Withers  and  Granmier  families,  all  of  Virginia. 
Her  first  cousin  is  Bishop  Gibson  of  Virginia.  A 
brother  of  the  late  Bishop  Henry  C.  Lay  was 
George  William  Lay,  who  graduated  from  West 
Point,  was  General  Scott 's  military  secretary  in 
the  Mexican  war,  and  afterwards  served  in  the 
Confederate  Army. 

George  William  Lay  of  this  sketch  had  a  broad 
and  liberal  education  for  his  profession.  He 
attended  St.  Paul's  School  at  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  from  1876  to  1880,  Yale  College  from 
1880  to  1882,  receiving  his  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Theological  Semi- 
nary of  New  York  City  from  1882  to  1885,  and 
was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Divinity  there  in  1886. 
In  1915  he  received  the  degree  of  D.  C.  L.  from 
the  ITniversity  of  the  South  at  Sewanee. 

Ordained  a  deacon  in  1885  and  a  priest  in  1886, 
he  was  assistant  minister  at  St.  Paul 's  Church  at 
Erie,  Pennsylvania,  from  1885  to  1887,  and  assist- 
ant of  St.  George's  Church  at  Newburgh,  New 
York,  from  1887  to  1888.  His  work  has  been  in 
the  schools  maintained  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Episcopal  Church.  He  was  master  of  St.  Paul's 
School  at  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  one  of  the 
foremost  preparatory  schools  of  the  country  from 
1888  to  1907,  and  since  that  date  has  been  rector 
of  St.  Mary's  School  at  Raleigh.  From  1895 
to  1907  he  was  secretary  of  the  board  of  missions 
of  the  Diocese  of  New  Hampshire,  and  since  com- 
ing to  North  Carolina  has  been  a  member  of  the 


Southern  Educational  Association  and  of  the 
Social  Service  and  Religious  Education  Commis- 
sions of  the  Diocese  of  North  Carolina.  He  has 
been  actively  identified  with  the  Raleigh  Chamber 
of  Commerce  since  1907,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
North  Carolina  Good  Roads  .Association,  the 
National  Forestry  Association,  the  Raleigh  Natural 
History  Society,  and  the  North  Carolina  Academy 
of  Science.  He  is  a  member  of  the  college  frater- 
nity Psi  Upsilon,  and  of  the  Farmers'  Union. 
Politically  he  is  a  democrat. 

On  June  26,  1894,  at  Baltimore,  Maryland,  Mr. 
Lay  married  Anna  Booth  Balch,  a  daughter  of 
Admiral  George  Beall  and  Mary  Ellen  (Booth) 
Balch.  Admiral  Balch  served  with  Perry  in  the 
first  Japan  Expedition.  Durbig  the  Civil  war  he 
commanded  the  Pawnee.  He  was  superintendent 
of  the  Naval  Academy,  and  at  one  time  commanded 
the  Asiatic  Station  or  the  Pacific  squadron  of  the 
United  States  Navy.  Mary  Ellen  Booth,  his  wife, 
of  Newcastle,  Delaware,  was  the  daughter  of  , 
Thomas  Booth  and  the  granddaughter  of  Thomas 
Booth,  both  of  whom  were  chief  justices  of  Dela- 
ware. Mrs.  Lay  has  many  army  and  navy  con- 
nections. Lieut.  James  Lockwood  of  arctic  fame 
and  the  wife  of  Admiral  Sigsbee  are  Mrs.  Lay  'a 
first  cousins.  Mrs.  Lay  is  president  of  the  Raleigh 
Woman's  Club  for  the  year  1917-18. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lay  have  had  eight  children: 
George  Balch,  Liizabeth  Atkinson,  Ellen  Booth, 
Anna  Rogers,  Lucy  Fitzhugh,  Henry  Champlin, 
Virginia  Harrison  and  Thomas  Atkinson,  the 
youngest,  who  died  in  1915  at  the  age  of  four 
years. 

Daniel  Webster  Andrews.  In  a  prominent 
place  upon  the  list  of  Durham's  men  of  business 
who  have  won  their  way  to  the  forefront  in  indus- 
trial circles  should  be  placed  the  name  of  Daniel 
Webster  Andrews,  u]ion  whom  devolve  many  of  the 
heavy  responsibilities  connected  with  the  great 
tobacco  industry  whose  seat  is  at  Durham. 

Mr.  Andrews  was  born  in  Alamance  County, 
North  Carolina,  June  4,  1867.  His  parents  were 
Alexander  Addison  and  Julia  (Martindale)  An- 
drews. His  father  was  a  tobacconist,  and  from 
early  youth  to  the  present  time  Daniel  W.  Andrews 
lias  never  been  out  of  the  atmosphere  of  that  in- 
dustry. He  acquired  a  public  and  private  school 
education  and  his  first  regular  employment  was  as 
a.  cigarette  maker.  He  was  thus  engaged  with  W. 
Duke  Sons  &  Company  for  three  years.  Upon  the 
organization  of  the  American  Tobacco  Comjiany 
he  was  given  the  position  of  foreman,  which  he 
filled  ten  years,  and  in  1901  became  superintendent 
of  the  Blackwell  Durham  branch  of  the  American 
Tobacco  Company.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  in- 
stitutions of  the  kind  in  North  Carolina.  Under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  Andrews  a  small  army  of  850 
people  are  working  in  different  capacities,  and 
throughout  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
business  Mr.  Andrews  has  steadily  maintained  his 
position  as  the  man  best  fitted  for  the  executive 
duties  of  superintendent.  He  is  well  known  in 
business  and  social  circles  at  Durham,  is  a  member 
and  former  sfeward  of  the  Memorial  Methodist 
Episcopal  Oiurch,  but  outside  of  the  factory  he 
gives  most  of  his  time  and  devotion  to  his  home 
and  family. 

Mr.  Andrews  married  February  10,  1886,  Mary 
Cliristian  of  Durham.  They  are  the  proud  parents 
of  a  family  of  twelve  children  named  Floy,  Lottie 
Thomas,  Clarence  Webster,  Arthur  Seward,  Julia 
Christian,  Mamie  Ruth,  Claiborne  Lee,  Nannie 
Mozelle,  Clinton  T.,  William  Horace,  James  Addi- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


91 


sou  and  Mary  Webster.  Most  of  these  cliildren 
are  still  in  the  home  circle.  The  oldest,  Floy,  is 
the  wife  of  W.  B.  DeVault  of  Durham.  Lottie 
T.  married  R.  C.  Christmas,  manager  of  a  book 
and  stationery  company  at  Fayctteville.  Clarence 
W.  is  a  traveling  salesman,  and  Arthur  S.  is  a  fore- 
man of  the  American  Tobacco  Comjiany. 

Walter  D.  Johnson.  Among  the  enterprising 
men  who  liave  assisted  in  the  remarkable  develop- 
ment of  St.  Pauls  during  the  last  decade  is 
Walter  D.  Johnson,  who  is  president  of  the  W.  D. 
Johnson  Lumber  Company,  a  very  important  indus- 
try of  Bobeson  County.  Mr.  Jolmsou  was  born  in 
1885,  in  the  northern  part  of  what  is  now  Scot- 
laud  County,  then  Richmond  County,  North  Caro- 
lina. His  parents  were  Duncan  McPhatter  and 
Sarah  Jeannette  (McNatt)  Johnson,  both  of  whom 
are  now   deceased. 

Both  the  Johnson  and  McNatt  families  are  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  The  paternal  line  of  Mr.  John- 
son was  founded  in  North  Carolina  by  his  great- 
grandfather, Neill  Johnson,  who  came  from 
Scotland  before  180U  and  settled  in  what  is  now 
the  northern  part  of  Scotland  County,  the  old 
Johnson  home  being  at  Fontcol,  where  now  is 
located  the  modern  town  of  Wagram.  The  fore- 
bears of  Mr.  Johnson  displayed  the  usual  fore- 
sight and  good  judgment  attriljuted  to  the  Scotch 
in  locating  in  what  is  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  productive  agricultural  regions  of  North 
Carolina. 

Duncan  McPhatter  Johnson  was  a  son  of  Archi- 
bald Johnson  and  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and 
died  in  1895.  In  1897  the  Johnson  family  moced 
from  Scotland  County  to  Robeson  County  and  the 
mother  of  Mr.  Johnson  died  here  in  1899.  Her 
sister,  Margaret  Elizabeth  McNatt,  had  married 
the  late  Lauchlin  Shaw,  of  St.  Pauls,  whose  death 
occurred  in  1915.  On  the  death  of  Duncan  Mc- 
Phatter Johnson,  Mr.  Shaw  became  the  guardian 
of  Mr.  Johnson  's  children,  and  it  was  through  his 
generous  management  and  benevolent  guardian- 
ship that  they  were  afforded  superior  educational 
advantages  and  properly  prepared  for  their  future 
careers.  Mr.  Sliaw  may  be  recalled  as  the  "first 
citizen"  of  St.  Pauls,  for  he  was  the  father  and 
founder  of  the  present  town.  It  is  built  on  land 
that  was  owned  by  him  and  he  was  the  leader  and 
financial  backer  of  the  various  business  and  indus- 
trial enterprises  that,  beginning  with  the  Iniilding 
of  the  railroad  tlirough  the  place  in  1907,  have 
made  St.  Pauls  a  remarkalile  example  of  rapid 
growth  and  development.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  Walter  D.  Johnson,  James  McNatt,  was 
at  one  time  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence  in 
Robeson  County.  He  owned  the  land  on  which  the 
town  of  Parkton  now  stands  and  thousands  of 
acres  surrounding.  He  was  an  extensive  jilanter 
and  slave  owner,  and  during  the  palmy  days  of 
the  turpentine  industry  was  a  large  operator. 

Walter  D.  Johnson,  as  indicated  above,  was 
generously  educated  and  in  1906  was  graduated 
from  Davidson  College.  He  spent  one  year  as  a 
schoolteacher,  but  in  1908,  in  partnership  witli 
Alexander  R.  McEachern,  went  into  the  lumber 
manufacturing  business  at  St.  Pauls  and  has  con- 
tinued until  the  present,  being  president  of  the 
company  that  bears  his  name.  The  company  owns 
a  large,  modern  plant  at  St.  Pauls,  well  equipped, 
and  the  business  is  the  manufacturing  of  long  and 
short  leaf  yellow  pine,  both  rough  ami  dressed. 
He  is  also  secretary  and  treasurer  of  The  Ernald- 
son  Manufacturing  Company  of  St.  Pauls,  of  the 


Hosiery  Yarn  &  Knitting  Mill,  and  a  director  of 
the  Bank  of  St.  Pauls.  Mr.  .Johnson  in  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  in  his  political  and  social  life 
justifies  the  respect  and  esteem  his  fellow  citizens 
entertain  for  him. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  April  23,  1913,  to  Miss 
Edna  Duke,  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Margaret 
C.  Duke,  originally  of  Virginia,  but  now  of  Ham- 
let, North  Carolina.  They  have  two  sons :  James 
McLean    Johnson    and    Duncan    McPhatter    John- 


Abel  Graham  Click.  Practically  a  self-made 
man,  Abel  Graham  Click,  a  prosperous  and  high- 
ly esteemed  resident  of  Elkiu,  Surry  County,  has 
in  truth  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  his 
prosperity  in  life  being  due  solely  to  years  of 
persevering  industry,  to  keen  perceptive  powers, 
and  to  a  native  good  sense  and  sound  judgment 
in  the  management  of  his  business  affairs.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Olin  Township,  Iredell 
County,  North  Carolina,  February  1,  1858,  a  son 
of  Godfrey  Click,  and  grandson  of  John  Click, 
a  pioneer  of  the  northwestern  part  of  this  state. 
His  great-grandfather  on  the  paternal  side  came 
from  Germany  to  America  with  a  brother  when 
a  young  man,  and  after  living  a  few  years  in 
Maryland  made  a  permanent  settlement  in  North 
Carolina. 

.John  Click  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  in  North 
Carolina,  and  spent  his  life  as  an  agriculturist. 
He  bought  a  farm  which  included  the  fertile 
strip  of  land  in  Yadkin  County  known  as  Horse 
Shoe  Neck,  and  was  there  engaged  in  his  favorite 
pursuit  until  his  death.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Raats,  was  also  of  German  parentage, 
and  like  him  spoke  the  German  language  fluently. 

A  native  of  Davie  County,  Godfrey  Click  was 
born,  in  1818,  in  the  locality  known  as  Horse  Shoe 
Neck,  and  was  there  reared  to  habits  of  industry 
and  thrift.  Taking  advantage  of  every  oppor- 
tunity for  advancing  his  knowledge,  he  acquired 
a  good  education,  and  as  a  young  man  taught 
school.  In  1857  he  bought  land  in  Olin  Township, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  slaves  improved  a  gooci 
farm.  During  the  Civil  war,  in  common  with  his 
neighbors  and  friends,  he  met  with  very  heavy 
losses,  but  he  continued  to  reside  on  his  farm  until 
after  the  death  of  his  wife.  Subsequently  re- 
moving to  Olin,  he  there  spent  his  remaining  days, 
dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  Godfrey  Click 
was  Margaret  Graham.  She  was  born  in  Rowan 
County,  a  daughter  of  Abel  Graham,  a  Scotch- 
Irish  farmer,  and  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
integrity.  Slie  died  when  liut  fifty-four  years  old, 
leaving  five  children,  namely :  Abel  Graham,  Mary 
Lou,  Margaret,  Henry  aud  Ella. 

Abel  Graham  Click  was  early  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  agriculture,  as  a  boy  assisting  in  the 
work  of  the  home  farm,  in  the  meantime  attending 
the  short  terms  of  the  district  school.  He  subse- 
quently continued  his  studies  at  Olin  College,  and 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  began  life  as  a 
teacher,  having  charge  of  a  school  at  Cherry  Hill, 
in  Davie  County.  Succeeding  in  his  profession, 
Mr.  Click  afterwards  taught  in  Monroe,  having 
the  supervision  of  the  primary  department  in  the 
school  of  which  Prof.  J.  D.  Hodges  was  the  prin- 
cipal, and  still  later  taught  at  both  Athens  and 
Liberty.  Retiring  from  his  profession,  Mr.  Click 
was  for  a  short  time  a  clerk  in  the  general  store 
of  Richard  Gwyn,  in  Elkin.  Desirous  of  bettering 
his  financial   condition,  he  was  clerk   in  a  grocery 


92 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


at  Statesville  for  awhile,  from  there  going  to  Olia, 
where  he  was  engaged  iu  mercantile  pursuits  for 
three  years. 

Coming  to  Elkin  from  Olin,  Mr.  Click  served 
for  a  year  and  a  half  as  bookkeeper  for  the  Elkin 
Manufacturing  Company.  Then,  with  C.  H.  Gwyn 
as  partner,  he  bought  the  store  of  the  Elkin  Manu- 
facturing Compan}',  and  at  the  end  of  two  years 
bought  Mr.  Gwyn 's  interest  in  the  concern.  Two 
years  later  he  sold  a  half  interest  in  the  business 
to  the  Chatham  Manufacturing  Company,  and  was 
made  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of 
the  company  's  business.  The  business  being  closed 
out  in  1904,  Mr.  Click  became  prominent  in  the 
organizytion  of  the  Elkin  Veneer  &  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  which  he  was  chosen  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Subsequently,  when  the  Elkin  Furniture 
Company  was  formed,  he  was  made  general  man- 
ager of  the  Elkin  Veneer  &  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany as  well  as  being  its  secretary  and  treasurer, 
and  a  director  of  the  Elkin  Eurniture  Company. 
Mr.  dick  has  shown  a  marked  aptitude  for  busi- 
ness, and  in  the  numerous  responsible  positions 
which  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  has  displayed 
rare  business  tact  and  ability.  He  is  much  inter- 
ested in  fruit  culture,  and  is  now  general  manager 
of  the  extensive  peach  and  apple  orchards  owned 
by  the  Elkin  Veneer  &  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Click  married,  February  1,  1881,  at  States- 
ville.  Miss  Nannie  A.  Alexander,  who  was  born 
near  Mooresville,  Iredell  County,  a  daughter  of 
Cowan  and  Susan  Alexander.  Into  their  j)leasant 
home  four  children  liave  been  born,  Willie,  Eugene, 
Margaret  and  Harold.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Click  are 
faithful  and  valuer!  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  in  which  lie  has  served 
as  steward,  and  as  teacher,  and  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school. 

Mr.  Click  has  always  evinced  an  intelligent  in- 
terest in  public  affairs,  and  has  filled  with  much 
acceptance  various  official  positions.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  he  was  elected  surveyor  of 
Iredell  County;  has  served  as  town  commissioner; 
having  been  a  member  of  the  board  when  the 
water  system  was  installed;  and  has  likewise  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Elkin  Board  of  Road  Commis- 
sioners. One  of  the  promoters  of  the'  Elkin  and 
Alleghany  Railroad,  he  served  as  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  company.  Fraternally  Mr.  Click 
is  a  member  of  Elkin  Lodge,  No.  454,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons;  of  Piedmont  Lodge,  No. 
96,  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which  he  is  chancellor; 
and  of  Elm  Camp,  Woodmen  of  the  World. 

William  Allen  Blair,  long  prominent  as  an 
educator,  civic  leader  and  business  man  at  Winston- 
Salem,  is  vice  president  of  the  People's  Bank  of 
Winston  Salem,  member  of  the  finance  committee 
of  the  Jefferson  Standard  Life  Insurance  Company, 
and  treasurer  of  the  Slater  Industrial  and  State 
Normal  School  for  Colored  Youth. 

Mr.  Blair  was  born  at  High  Point  in  Guilford 
County,  North  Carolina,  where  his  family  have 
been  prominent  for  several  generations.  His 
father,  Solomon  I.  Blair,  was  anative  of  Randolph 
County  and  that  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his 
grandfather,  John  Blair.  The  Blairs  came  origi- 
nally from  Scotland  and  through  many  generations 
were  of  the  Quaker  faith.  Solomon  I.  Blair  was 
educated  at  Guilford  College,  taught  school  in 
early  life,  and  was  one  of  the  very  successful  citi- 
zens of  Guilford  County.  He  "married  Abigail 
Hunt.  Her  great-grandfather  William  Hunt  was  a 
noted  preacher  of  the  Friends  Church.    Her  grand- 


father Nathan  Hunt  also  a  minister  was  connected 
with  the  early  life  and  affairs  of  Guilford  County 
and  was  largely  instrumental  in  founding  Guilford 
College.  Samuel  Hunt,  father  of  Abigail  Hunt, 
was  born  near  High  Point  in  Guilford  County,  was 
a  planter,  and  buying  a  tract  of  land  adjoining 
the  old  Hunt  homestead  was  engaged  in  general 
farming  most  of  his  life.  Solomon  I.  Blair,  and 
wife  had  seven  children. 

William  A.  Blair  spent  his  boyhood  on  his 
father's  farm  at  the  edge  of  High  Point.  He  grew 
up  in  a  rural  atmosphere  and  imbibed  many  inter- 
ests which  have  remained  with  hkn  to  this  day. 
He  began  his  education  at  home,  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  Guilford,  and  graduated  A.  B.  from 
Haverford  College  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1882 
with  a  similar  degree  from  Harvard  University. 
At  Harvard  he  was  prominent  in  student  activities, 
won  prizes  in  speaking  contests,  was  interested  in 
athletics,  and  helped  to  pay  his  university  expenses 
by  work  as  newspaper  correspondent.  After  his 
university  career  he  spent  some  time  studying  and 
observing  the  work  of  the  schools  of  New  England 
and  Canada,  and  on  returning  home  to  High 
Point  was  elected  principal  of  the  high  school. 
He  gave  up  his  school  work  in  188.5  to  enter  Johns 
Hopkins  University  at  Baltimore,  where  he  pur- 
sued post-graduate  courses  leading  up  to  the  degree 
Doctor  of  Philosophy. 

The  following  year  he  returned  to  Winston- 
Salem  and  at  once  became  a  powerful  influence  iv 
the  school  life  of  Western  North  Carolina.  He 
taught  and  managed  grade  schools,  did  work  in 
the  State  Normal  Scliool,  and  was  elected  superin- 
tendent of  the  State  Normal  at  Winston-Salem. 
He  afterwards  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
city  schools  and  while  active  in  the  work  he  was 
editor  of  a  popular  educational  magazine.  Sun- 
day School  work  has  always  had  a  strong  hold 
upon  his  interests.  He  has  served  as  teacher, 
superintendent  and  state  superintendent  of  the 
Sabbath  School  of  the  Friends  Church.  He  was 
the  first  president  of  the  Winston  Young  Men  'a 
Christian  Association  and  has  been  president  of 
the  State  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Con- 
vention. Some  of  the  best  honors  of  educational 
affairs  have  come  to  Mr.  Blair.  He  was  offered 
chairs  in  different  colleges  and  at  one  time  was 
elected  president  of  a  college,  but  has  always  pre- 
ferred to  concentrate  his  work  in  his  home  state. 

Teacliing  and  lecturing  were  his  most  congenial 
vocations  but  the  possession  of  unusual  business 
ability  soon  brought  him  into  actual  contact  with 
business  affairs.  In  1890  he  was  elected  president 
of  a  National  Bank  and  has  been  prominent  in 
North  Carolina  banking  for  many  years.  He  has 
served  as  president  of  the  State  Bankers '  Associa- 
tion and  has  published  a  number  of  interesting 
articles  on  finance.  In  1894  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  He  took  up  the  study  of  law  not  so  much 
for  the  purpose  of  practicing  it  as  a  profession, 
but  because  of  his  sincere  interest  in  the  great 
subject.  Perhaps  he  was  influenced  also  by  the 
example  of  his  two  uncles  in  the  profession,  one  of 
whom  became  an  eminent  judge. 

Politically  Colonel  Blair  is  a  democrat.  He  has 
served  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Winston- 
Salem  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  for  fourteen 
years  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Public 
Charities,  was  State  Commissioner  to  the  Paris 
Exi)Osition,  and  a  delegate  to  the  World  's  Sunday 
School  Convention  in  London  and  to  the  National 
Association  of  Charities  and  Corrections.  At  the 
inauguration     of     President     Roosevelt     he     was 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


93 


appointed  special  aide  with  the  rank  of  colonel. 
Colonel  Blair  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order, 
is  a  member  of  the  Audubon  Society,  the  Twin 
City  Club,  the  Forsyth  County  Club,  the  Southern 
Historical  Society,  the  Art  Collectors  Club  and  the 
Reform  Club  of  New  York.  Colonel  Blair  was 
married  in  1895  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Fries,  daughter 
of  Hon.  John  W.  Fries  of  Salem. 

Flemiel  Oscar  Carver  began  the  practice  of  law 
at  Roxboro  in  September,  1899,  and  has  steadily 
continued  to  grow  in  stature  and  dignity  as  a  man 
of  the  law  and  with  ripening  wisdom  and  maturity 
of  reputation  has  come  into  a  position  as  one  of 
the  first  citizens  of  Person  County. 

Mr.  Carver  was  born  at  Roxboro,  North  Caro- 
lina, April  17,  1877,  a  son  of  .James  Abraham  and 
Ella  (Brooks)  Carver.  His  father  long  held  a  place 
of  prominence  in  this  county,  was  sheriff  and  treas- 
urer of  the  county,  was  postmaster  of  Roxboro,  and 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business  and 
farming.  Flemiel  Oscar  Carver  was  educated  in 
-private  schools,  and  attended  both  the  academic 
and  law  departments  of  the  University  of  North 
Carolina.  During  nearly  seventeen  years  of  law 
practice  he  has  filled  some  important  public  offices. 
Tor  four  years  he  was  city  attorney  of  Roxboro. 
He  is  attorney  for  the  Central  Highway  Commis- 
sion of  Person  County  and  in  1909  served  as  repre- 
sentative of  this  county  in  the  State  Legislature. 
He  is  a  former  commissioner  of  the  Town  of  Rox- 
boro, a  trustee  of  the  graded  schools,  and  in  re- 
ligion is  a  Methodist  and  a  member  of  the  board 
■of  trustees  of  the  Edgar  Long  Memorial  Church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Bar  Association. 
Mr.  Carver  has  some  farming  interests  which  he 
looks  after  in  addition  to  handling  his  law  prac- 
tice. 

December  25,  1907,  he  married  Eula  Reams 
■Carver  of  Person  County.  Their  four  children  are 
James  Elihu,  Flemiel  Oscar,  Jr.,  Jane  and  William 
■Gordon. 

Lauchlin  McInnis.  One  of  the  men  of  large 
affairs  in  Robeson  County  is  Lauchlin  McInnis, 
president  of  the  Bank  of  St.  Pauls  and  identified 
witli  many  of  the  leading  interests  of  this  section. 
Like  many  other  of  the  most  substantial  men  of 
this  part  of  North  Carolina  Mr.  McInnis  is  of 
Scotch  ancestry  and  goes  no  farther  back  than 
his  grandfathers  to  find  the  original  settlers. 
From  tlie  Isle  of  Skye,  the  second  largest  of  the 
Scotch  islands  and  the  most  northern  of  the  Inner 
Hebrides,  the  refuge  of  Prince  Charles  in  1746 
and  the  home  of  Flora  Macdonald,  a  name  revered 
by  every  true  Scotchman,  came  Angus  McInnis  to 
the  United  States.  He  was  of  sturdy  build,  as  are 
all  the  men  of  rugged  Skye,  and  of  equally  sturdy 
■  religious  principles,  and  hence  he  not  only  sought 
a  more  genial  climate  and  better  agricultural  con- 
ditions, but  also  a  home  for  himself  and  his  de- 
scendants where  the  Presbyterian  faith  could  be 
maintained  as  his  conscience  demanded.  All  tliese 
conditions  he  found  in  Cumberland  County,  North 
Carolina,  and  he  located  permanently,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  Seventy-first 
Township,  near  old   Galatia  Church. 

Lauchlin  Mclinnis  was  born  near  old  Galatia 
Church  in  the  western  part  of  Cumberland  County, 
North  Carolina,  in  187.3.  His  parents  were  Daniel 
and  Ann  (McFayden)  McInnis,  the  mother  dying 
in  Cumberland  County,  North  Carolina,  and  the 
father  dying  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.     The  McFaydens  are  numerous  and  promi- 


nent in  tlie  nortiiwest  section  of  Cumberland 
County,  in  tlie  neighborhood  of  Longstreet  Church, 
which   was   founded   in   1758. 

Lauchlin  McInnis  remained  on  the  old  farm  in 
Seventy-first  Township,  Cumberland  County,  until 
1907,  when  he  came  to  St.  Pauls,  Robeson  County, 
in  which  year  the  Virginia  &  Carolina  Southern 
Railway  was  extended  tlirougli  St.  Pauls,  the  ad- 
vent of  whi'cli  was  the  beginning  of  the  remarkable 
growth  of  tlie  present  modern  business  and  indus- 
trial town,  developed  from  a  village  in  a  pine 
thicket.  Mr.  McInnis  was  made  the  first  agent 
for  the  railroad  here  and  had  charge  of  the  com- 
pany 's  business  in  this  section  for  three  or  four 
years.  He  built  the  first  store  building  here,  on 
the  site  wliere  now  stands  the  Butler  Supply  Com- 
pany 's   building. 

In  1914  Mr.  McInnis  went  into  the  Bank  of 
St.  Pauls  as  cashier  and  discharged  the  duties  of 
that  office  capably  and  popularly  until  1916,  when 
he  became  active  vice  president.  In  1917  he 
retired  from  active  inside  management  of  the 
bank  but  was  made  president,  his  honorable  name 
lieing  a  very  valuable  asset.  He  is  at  the  head 
of  a  large  mercantile  estaldishment  here  and  is 
greatly  interested  in  the  development  of  his  fine 
farm,  but  just  at  present  his  most  absorbing 
activity  is  tlio  management  as  executor  of  the 
extensive  estate,  consisting  of  large  farms,  of  the 
late  Lauchlin  Shaw,  for  many  years  a  leading 
capitalist  here.  In  this  relation,  as  in  every  other, 
Mr.  McInnis  is  considered  ecjual  to  every  re- 
sponsibility. 

Mr.  McInnis  was  married  to  Miss  May  Gillis, 
who  was  born  and  reared  in  Seventy-first  Town- 
ship, Clumlierland  County.  They  have  six  children, 
namely:  John  D.,  David  Pairley,  Katherine, 
Jessie  May  and  Margaret  and  Jennie,  twins.  Mr. 
McInnis  and  f.amily  are  members  of  the  St.  Pauls 
Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he  is  an  elder.  He 
has  long  been  identified  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. Mr.  McInnis  is  considered  one  of  the  most 
active,  progressive  and  public  spirited  citizens  of 
St.  Pauls. 

Herbert  Edmund  Norris.  Among  the  promi- 
nent men  of  Raleigh,  using  the  term  in  its  broad- 
est sense  to  indicate  legal  acumen,  sterling  char- 
acter, public  beneficence,  valuable  civic  and  state 
service  and  upright  citizenship,  is  Herbert  Edmund 
Norris,  a  leading  member  of  the  Raleigh  bar,  an 
ex-representative  and  ex-senator,  and  a  citizen  who 
in  various  ways  has  contributed  to  the  welfare 
and  advancement  of  his  city,  county  and  state. 
Mr.  Norris  was  born  November  7,  1859,  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Wake  County,  North  Carolina, 
twenty  miles  southwest  of  Raleigh,  and  is  a  son 
of  Jesse  Allen  and  Amie  Ann  (Adams)   Norris. 

In  addition  to  being  a  farmer,  Mr.  Norris'  fa- 
ther was  a  manufacturer  of  naval  stores,  and  as 
the  youth  grew  up  he  was  called  to  assist  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  homstead,  which  manual  labor, 
to  use  the  words  of  a  contemporary  biographer, 
"gave  him  a  sound  mind  in  a  soui\d  body,  im- 
pressed him  with  the  dignity  and  honor  of  labor, 
and  established  in  him  habits  of  industry,  decision 
of  character,  tenacity  of  purpose,  self  reliance, 
honor  and  loyalty  and  a  deep  sympathy  for  his  fel- 
low man,  which,  together  with  a  worthy  ambition 
and  high  ideals,  constituted  a  foundation  upon 
which  he  has  builded  an  honorable  and  successful 
life. ' '  Mr.  Norris  secured  his  early  education  in 
the  subscription  schools  of  Wake  County,  following 
which  he  attended  Lillington  and  Apex  academies, 


94 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


and  Trinity  College  in  Randolph  County,  -where  he 
was  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  B.  Craven.  ,  He 
was  graduated  from  the  last-named  institution  with 
honors  in  1879,  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts,  and  after  reading  law  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  the  late  George  V.  Strong,  of  Ealeigh, 
was  granted  his  license  and  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1881. 

Mr.  Norris  began  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion at  Apex,  where  he  divided  his  time  between 
farming  and  the  law,  but  his  practice  grew  so 
rapidly,  extending  into  Harnett,  Chatham  and 
Moore  counties,  that  he  later  associated  his  broth- 
er with  him  in  farming  and  stock  raising.  In  1900 
he  came  to  Ealeigh,  and  this  city  has  continued 
to  be  his  home  to  the  present  time,  his  practice 
having  grown  to  large  proportions.  While  living 
at  Apex,  with  the  assistance  of  the  late  John  C. 
Angier,  B.  N.  Duke  and  his  associates,  were 
induced  by  Mr.  Norris  to  furuish  the  capital  to 
build  the  railroad  extending  from  Durham  to  Dunn, 
via  Apex,  Holly  Springs  and  Varina.  This  road 
gave  Apex  competitive  freight  rates,  resulting  in 
the  village  becoming  one  of  the  most  progressive 
small  towns  in  the  state,  with  a  fine  tobacco  mar- 
ket, formed  the  incentive  for  the  building  of  Va- 
rina and  Fuquay  Springs,  each  with  a  fine  tobacco 
market,  and  caused  a  great  increase  in  the  value 
of  real  estate  in  that  direction.  This  is  known 
as  the  Durham  &  Southern  Railway  Company,  and 
Mr.  Norris  has  been  its  attorney  since  its  building. 
Mr.  Norris  has  been  for  many  years  a  director  of 
the  Raleigh  Banking  and  Trust  Company.  He 
was  one  of  a  committee  of  five  selected  by  the 
First  State  Farmers'  CJonvention  who  drafted  ; 
caused  to  be  passed  l.iy  tlie  General  Assembly  the 
act  creating  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Col- 
lege of  Ealeigh.  In  1885  Mr.  Norris  represented 
Wake  County  in  the  North  Carolina  Legislature, 
and  in  1892  was  unanimously  nominated  by  his 
party  for  the  same  position,  but  was  defeated  by 
the  fusion  ticket,  which  swept  the  state.  During 
two  administrations  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Internal  Improvements.  He  was  nominated  and 
elected  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  State 
Senate  in  1903,  without  opposition.  In  1904  he 
was  a  leader  in  the  reform  movement  which  re- 
sulted in  a  complete  change  in  the  management  of 
county  affairs  along  financial  lines,  and  began 
also  the  agitation  for  the  building  of  a  county 
courthouse,  which  has  since  been  done.  Likewise, 
he  started  the  movement  for  the  founding  of 
the  Home  for  the  Aged  and  Infirm  and  has  ever 
since  been  one  of  that  institution 's  best  friends. 
In  1910  he  was  nominated  and  elected  solicitor  of 
the  Sixth  Judicial  District,  without  opposition, 
and  in  1914  was  renominated  and  elected  solicitor 
of  the  Seventh  Judicial  District,  also  without  op- 
position, a  position  which  he  now  holds.  His  term 
of  office  will  expire  December  31,  1918.  Mr. 
Norris  ha.s  been  mentioned  as  the  probable  suc- 
cessor of  E.  W.  Pou  in  Congress,  and  his  friends 
suggest  him  as  a  successor  of  C.  M.  Cooke,  judge  of 
the  Seventh  Judicial  District.  Mr.  Norris  be- 
longs to  the  Tl^apital  Club  and  to  the  Elks,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  First  Ba[)tist  Church  of  Raleigh. 
His  home  on  Louisburg  Road,  north  of  the  city 
limits,  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  Ealeigh, 
surrounded  by  a  large  picturesque  lawn  and  land- 
scape, and  there  he  and  his  family  enjoy  the 
advantages  of  country  and  city  combined. 

On  December  10,  1890,  while  living  at  Apex, 
Mr.'  Norris  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Emma 
Burns,    daughter    of    Robert    M.    and    Martha    S. 


Burns,  of  Pittsboro,  North  Carolina.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Norris  have  one  son,  Herbert  Burns.  He 
was  born  November  24,  1891,  was  educated  at 
the  Ealeigh  High  School  and  the  Ealeigh  Agri- 
cultural and  Mechanical  College,  where  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Pi  Kappa  Alpha  fraternity,  and 
is  now  an  automobile  salesman.  On  November 
24,  1910,  he  married  Miss  Minnie  Huutt  Eansom, 
of  Raleigh,  and  they  have  one  daughter:  Emma 
Burns. 

WrLLiAM  Penn  Wood.  A  long  and  exemplary 
career  has  been  that  of  William  Penn  Wood,  who 
in  his  early  manhood  served  faithfully  for  nearly 
three  years  in  the  Confederate  army,  then  returned 
to  the  pursuits  of  peace  in  his  native  North  Caro- 
lina county,  and  was  in  an  acti%-e  career  as  a  mer- 
chant at  Ashboro  until  he  was  called  to  the  dignity 
of  a  state  office,  and  for  the  past  six  years  has 
been  auditor  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina. 

Born  at  Ashboro,  North  Carolina,  May  2,  1843, 
he  is  a  son  of  Penuel  and  Calista  (Birkhead) 
Wood.  His  youth  was  spent  in  Eandolph  County, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools  from  1850 
until  1861.  Then  as  a  boy  of  eighteen  he  found 
work  as  clerk  in  a  general  store,  but  in  February, 
1862,  stepped  from  behind  the  counter  and  enlisted 
in  Company  I  of  the  Twenty-second  North  Caro- 
lina Infantry.  He  went  in  as  a  private,  and  was 
found  faitlifully  discharging  his  duties  and  fol- 
lowing his  leader  in  all  the  many  battles  in  which 
he  was  engaged.  He  was  frequently  commended 
for  coolness  under  fire,  and  was  promoted  to 
sergeant.  In  the  second  battle  of  Manassas  he  waf 
wounded  and  was  left  to  lie  in  the  woods  for  a 
long  time  before  assistance  came.  It  was  two 
weeks  before  he  was  taken  to  the  hospital,  and  it 
was  six  months  before  he  was  able  to  rejoin  his 
regiment.  He  still  carries  in  his  body  the  bullet 
that  wounded  him  on  that  day  more  than  half  a 
century  ago.  He  was  with  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  at  the  battle  of  Chancelorsville,  and  wa» 
not  far  from  treneral  Stonewall  Jackson  when  I  hat 
great  Southern  leader  was  shot  down  by  his  own 
troops.  At  the  battle  of  North  Ann  Eiver  ha 
was  captured  and  spent  the  last  mouths  of  Mie 
war  in  a  Federal  prison  at  Point  Lookout,  not 
being  released  until  ten  days  before  the  surrender. 
Mr.  Wood  has  served  as  major  on  the  general  staff 
of  the  Confederate  Veterans'  Association  and  is 
%ice  president  of  the  North  Carolina  Soldiers' 
Home  of  Ealeigh. 

With  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  old 
home  at  Ashboro,  took  up  work  as  clerk  in  a 
general  store,  but  in  1873  established  a  general 
merchandise  business  of  his  own.  He  has  been  a 
merchant  there  steadily  for  more  than  forty  years 
and  still  owns  the  business.  He  is  also  a  director 
in  one  of  North  Carolina's  raUway  lines,  and  until 
a  few  years  ago  actively  operated  a  farm  near 
his  home  town. 

For  several  years  he  served  as  city  treasurer  and 
alderman  of  Ashboro,  being  treasurer  of  the  fown 
from  1880  to  1888,  and  treasurer  of  Randolph 
County  from  1890  to  1894.  He  represented  his 
home  county  and  Moore  County  in  the  State 
Senate  of  1901,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
tures of  1905  and  1907  from  Randolph  County.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Randolph  County  Busine.ss 
Men's  Club.  In  October,  1910,  the  Demoeratie 
State  Executive  Committee  nominated  him  to  fill 
a  vacancy  on  the  ticket  as  state  auditor,  and  at 
the  general  election  of  the  following  November 
he  was  elected  and  has  filled  the  office  consecutively 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


95 


down  to  the  present  time.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1912,  and  again  in  1916,  his  present  term  expiring 
in  1920.  It'is  said  that  during  his  official  tenure 
of  tlie  office  more  than  $20,000,000  have  passed 
through  his  hands,  and  not  a  siug-Je  penny  has 
been  unaccounted  for.  / 

Outside  of  his  business  and  public  duties  Mr. 
Wood  has  been  distinguished  for  his  long  and 
conscientious  devotion  to  the  Mefliodist  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  a  steward  in  his  home  church 
continuously  from  1866  until  1910.  He  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Junior 
Order  of  United  American  Mechanics.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Raleigh  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  Capi- 
tal Club. 

On  September  4,  1872,  he  married  Miss  Etta 
Gunter,  who  died  about  twenty  years  ago.  His 
three  cliildren  are:  Blanche  Penn,  wife  of  John 
O.  Redding,  a  manufacturer  at  A^hboro;  John 
Kerr,  a  merchant  at  Ashboro,  and  Mabel  Emma, 
■wife  of  William  A.  Underwood,  a  druggist  of  Ash- 
boro. 

WiLLUJt  D.\NIEL  Merritt.  Among  the  neces- 
sary qualifications  set  forth  in  old  English  law  in 
reference  to  securing  eminence  in  tliat  profession, 
was  the  primary  necessity  of  being  "a  scholar  and 
a  gentleman."  According  to  American  standards 
of  the  present  day,  this  is  also  a  requisite  in  many 
other  lines,  but  it  undoubtedly  continues  especially 
applicable  to  the  law  and  examples  are  not  hard 
to  find  among  those  who  have  become  really  notable 
at  the  bar.  We  may  be  permitted  to  piention  in 
this  connection,  William  Daniel  Merritt,  county 
attorney  of  Person  County,  and  for  many  years  a 
leading  member  of  the  Eoxboro  bar. 

William  Daniel  Merritt  was  born  in  Person 
County,  North  Carolina.  January  .31,  1872.  His 
parents  were  Dr.  William  and  Mary  Catherine 
(Hamlett)  Merritt.  Doctor  Merritt  was  one  of  the 
distinguished  men  of  North  Carolina.  He  was  grad- 
uated in  18.51  from  the  University  of  A'irginia  and 
subsequently  from  Jefferson  Medical  College, 
Philadelphia.  In  18.5.3  he  established  himself  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Roxboro,  North 
Carolina,  and  this  city  remained  his  home  until  his 
death  in  1904.  He  was  particularly  successful  as  a 
physician  and  loved  his  work,  ever  maintaining  its 
dignity  and  ethics.  While  readv  to  respond  to  every 
call  for  help  and  particularly  self-sacrificing  as 
was  evidenced  during  the  serious  smallpox  epidemic 
at  one  time,  when  he  went  among  tlie  sufferers  and 
waited  upon  them  with  his  own  hands,  no  one  can 
ever  recall  that  he  sent  a  bill  for  his  professional 
services  during  his  entire  career.  As  one  of  the 
strong  men  of  the  state  he  was  called  into  public 
life  in  1868,  as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  and  subsequently  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  from  the  Seventeenth  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict. 

William  D.  Merritt  had  both  social  and  educa- 
tional advantages.  After  completing  his  course  at 
Bethel  Hill  Institute,  a  well  known  educational  in- 
stitution of  Person  County,  he  entered  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina  and  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1895  and  completed  his  course  in  the  law 
department  of  the  university  in  1896.  In  the  same 
year  he  entered  into  general  practice  at  Roxboro 
and  this  city  has  remained  the  princijial  field  of  his 
activities  ever  since. 

Many  professional  honors  and  successes  have 
come  to  Mr.  Merritt  through  his  legal  ability,  and 


many  others  through  his  active  public  spirit  and 
his  interest  in  forwarding  public  and  industrial 
enterprises  that  have  been  of  great  benefit  to  this 
section.  Serving  now  as  attorney  for  Person 
County,  he  previously  served  as  city  attorney  and 
also  as  a  solicitor  of  the  Fifth  Judicial  District, 
and  in  1896  was  elected  a  presidential  elector  from 
the  Fifth  Congressional  District,  an  unusual  honor 
and  acknowledgment  of  high  personal  merit  in  so 
young  a  man.  Later  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  board  of  town  commissioners  and  still  later 
of  the  county  board  of  education,  and  was  made 
chairman  of  the  latter.  For  two  years  Mr.  Merritt 
served  in  the  important  office  of  superintendent  of 
public  instruction  of  Person  County,  in  all  these 
public  positions  being  particularly  useful  and  ef- 
ficient because  of  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
law  as  well  as  his  general  scholarship.  Mr.  Merritt 
has  built  up  a  substantial  private  practice  through 
which  his  name  is  favorably  known  all  over  the 
county.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Roxboro  Cotton 
Mills,  a  director  of  the  Laui-a  Cotton  Mills  in 
Durham  County,  and  director  and  also  attorney  of 
the  Peoples  Bank  of  Roxboro. 

Mr.  Merritt  was  married  October  28,  1908,  to 
Miss  Mary  Josephine  Cole,  of  Danville,  Virginia. 
They  have  two  sons,  William  Daniel  and  John 
Wesley.  Mr.  Merritt  and  family  belong  to  the 
Edgar  Long  Memorial  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  in  which  he  is  a  member  of  the  board  of 
stewards. 

Gen.  Fr.\nk  A.  BoxD  is  a  widely  known  citizen 
both  in  North  Carolina  and  in  Maryland.  He 
was  formerly  adjutant  general  of  Maryland,  and 
from  that  state,  his  own  native  place  and  the 
home  of  his  ancestry  for  generations,  he  made 
his  distinguished  record  as  a  Confederate  soldier 
and  officer. 

General  Bond  has  for  years  been  an  enthusiastic 
hunter  and  all  around  sportsman,  keenly  alive 
to  all  the  attractions  and  pursuits  of  the  outdoors 
and  the  forest.  As  a  hunter  he  has  made  numer- 
ous expeditions  throughout  the  game  preserves  of 
North  Carolina,  and  in '1902  he  sold  his  property 
in  Maryland  and  coming  to  Robeson  County, 
North  Carolina,  bought  a  tract  of  land  upon  which 
he  established  "Hunter's  Lodge,"  which  has  since 
become  widely  famous  as  a  rendezvo«s  for  hunters 
and  sportsmen  from  all  parts  of  both  the  North 
and  South.  Hunter 's  Lodge  is  situated  on  the 
Seaboard  Air  Line  Railway  in  Raft  Swamp  Town- 
ship, about  half  way  between  Lumberton  and 
Pembroke,  five  miles  each  way.  It  is  sujjplied 
with  mail  from  Lmuberton  postoffice. 

Genera!  Bond  on  coming  here  built  a  residence 
for  himself  and  family  and  around  nearby  a  num- 
ber of  typical  hunters '  cabins  and  other  buildings 
for  the  accommodation  of  sportsmen  and  their 
retinue.  General  Bond  maintains  all  the  facili- 
ties for  the  perfect  pursuit  of  the  hunting  pastime, 
including  numerous  foxhounds  and  bird  dogs, 
horses,  mules  and  vehicles,  and  expert  guides  who 
know  every  foot  of  the  surrounding  swamps  and 
thick  forests.  This  environment  presents  as 
nearly  an  ideal  hunting  preserve  as  can  be  found 
in  America.  Some  of  the  most  noted  sportsmen 
and  successful  hunters  in  this  and  other  countries 
come  to  Hunter's  Lodge  everj'  winter  for  their 
sport.  General  Bond  and  his  wife  have  become 
greatly  beloved  characters  with  their  guests  and 
have  furnished  ideal  hospitality  and  most  con- 
genial accommodations.  The  home  and  its  sur- 
roundings,  set  in   the  depths   of  the   forest,   with 


96 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


the  guides,  the  yelping  and  ever  anxious  dogs,  the 
guns  and  parajiherualia,  present  an  atmosphere  of 
the  hunt  aord  the  chase  that  are  irresistible  to  the 
true  sjiortsnian.  The  interior  of  the  home, 
especially  the  great  dining  room,  with  its  large 
wood  tireplace,  the  Ipng  table  brilliant  with  glass 
and  china  and  silver,  is  a  picture  ot  comfort  and 
cheer  that  would  be  attractive  under  any  condi- 
tions, but  is  doubly  inviting  to  the  man  who  has 
spent  all  day  out  of  doors.  Besides  keeping  up 
this  charming  sportsman 's  headquarters  General 
Boud  operates  a  iarm,  and  has  some  extensive 
fields  of  cotton  and  corn. 

General  Bond  was  born  at  Bel  Air  in  Harford' 
County,  Maryland,  in  1838,  son  of  William  Brown 
Bond.  In  the  paternal  line  he  is  of  pure  Englisli 
stock.  His  ancestors  in  England  were  soldiers 
under  Cromwell.  At  the  restoration  of  King- 
Charles  II  they  found  it  advisable  to  come  to 
America,  and  made  settlement  in  the  Colony  of 
Maryland.  William  Brown  Bond  was  born  at  Bel 
Air  in  Harford  County,  sou  of  Samuel  Bond,  who 
served  as  high  sheriff  of  that  county  in  1798. 
From  Harford  County  the  Bond  family  removed 
to  Jessups  in  Howard  County  in  18.57.  William 
Brown  Boud  was  a  planter,  also  a  very  able  law- 
yer, and  for  several  years  was  state 's  attorney  of 
Harford  County. 

General  Bond  was  well  educated  and  reared  in 
a  home  of  distinctive  culture  and  refinement.  He 
was  twenty-three  years  old  when  the  war  broke  out 
and  was  ca|itain  of  a  company  of  infantry  of  the 
Maryland  National  Guard.  He  went  to  Virginia 
in  May,  1861,  and  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
First  Virginia  Cavalry  and  General  Bond  was  on 
constant  duty,  accepting  every  hazard  and  risk 
of  a  soldier 's  career  with  this  organization  until 
he  was  severely  wounded  at  Hagerstown.  That 
precluded  further  active  service  in  the  field.  He 
was  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run  as  a  private. 
On  August  1,  1861,  he  was  promoted  to  lieutenant 
at  Fairfax,  Virginia.  About  that  time  lie  and 
others  organized  Company  A  of  the  First  Mary- 
land Cavalry,  and  in  November,  1862,  was  jiro- 
moted  to  captain  of  the  company.  At  the  battle 
of  Gcttysliurg  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight 
throughout  the  three  days  and  under  the  personal 
orders  of  General  Ewell,  one  of  the  three  corps 
commanders  under  General  Lee.  During  the  re- 
treat from  Gettysburg  at  Hagertown,  Ca]itain 
Bond  with  only  a  handful  of  men  met  and  routed 
a  large  force  of  Federal  troops  that  had  followed 
along  after  the  Confederates.  It  was  a  brilliant 
cavalry  charge  and  achieved  all  that  was  expected, 
but  Captain  Bond  himself  was  badly  wounded 
and  disabled.  While  thus  wounded  he  was  cap- 
tured by  the  enemy  a  few  days  later  and  im- 
prisoned at  Fort  McHenry.  While  in  that  prison 
he  met  and  became  a  friend  of  Colonel,  afterwards 
General  Leaventhorpe  of  North  Carolina.  After 
they  were  exchanged,  on  the  invitation  of  General 
Leaventhorpe,  Captain  Bond  became  adjutant 
general  with  the  rank  of  major  in  Leaventhorpe  's 
North  Carolina  Brigade.  As  such  he  was  on  duty 
in  North  Carolina  until  paroled  at  the  close  of 
the  war  at  Greensboro  with  General  Johnston 's 
army. 

Perhaps  the  best  testimony  to  General  Bond 's 
efficiency  as  a  soldier  is  found  in  an  interesting 
letter  which  for  nearly  half  a  century  has  been 
carefully  kept  by  General  Bond  among  his  papers 
and  possessions.  This  letter,  dated  September  12, 
1871,  was  written  by  the  late  Burton  N.  Harrison, 
private  secretary  to  President  Jefferson  Davis  of 


the  Confederacy.  At  the  time  Mr.  Harrison  was 
practicing  law  in  New  York  City,  ,and  in  this 
letter  he  certifies  that  while  he  was  acting  as 
private  secretary  to  the  president  of  the  Con- 
federacy a  ijetition  signed  by  the  privates,  non- 
commissioned and  commissioned  officers  (except 
Captain  Boud  himself)  of  the  First  Maryland 
Cavalry  Regiment,  requested  the  appointment  of 
Capt.  Frank  A.  Bond,  Junior  Captain  of  the 
Regiment,  as  colonel  in  place  of  Col.  Ridgely 
Brown,  who  had  recently  died.  Mr.  Harrison  in 
the  letter  further  stated  that  the  petitioners  ex- 
pressed the  utmost  regard  for  and  confidence  in 
Captain  Bond  as  a  soldier,  officer  and  comrade, 
and  affirmed  that  he  was  fully  qualified  by 
experience,  fortitude,  gallantry  and  skill  as  an 
officer  to  command  the  regiment  in  the  capacity 
of  colonel.  Mr.  Harrison  mentioned  in  the  letter 
that  lie  himself  called  President  Davis'  attention 
to  the  petition  at  the  time  as  a  remarkable  tribute 
to  the  merits  «of  Captain  Bond,  in  whom,  to  quote 
the  words  of  the  letter,  he  ' '  then  and  now"  feels 
a  most  friendly  interest."  The  Harrison  letter 
stated  that  the  petition  was  referred  by  the  presi- 
dent to  the  secretary  of  war  for  official  action. 

This  letter  has  still  another  feature  of  interest, 
perhaps  even  more  than  what  has  been  quoted. 
On  the  last  page  of  Mr.  Harrison 's  communication 
is  an  endorsement  written  by  Mr.  Davis 
himself,  dated  November  6,  1871,  at  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  and  reading  as  follows:  "Though 
I  do  not  recollect  the  petition  referred  to  by  my 
former  secretary  Mr.  Burton  N.  Harrison,  my 
knowledge  of  his  cliaracter  does  not  permit  me  to 
doubt  the  accuracy  of  his  statement.  An  applica- 
tion by  a  whole  regiment  to  have  a  junior  captain 
])ro)noted  to  be  its  colonel  is  such  an  extraordinary 
testimonial  and  appreciation  as  must  be  conclu- 
sive of  the  question  of  meritorious  service. ' ' 
(Signed)    "Jefferson   Davis." 

A  word  of  explanation  is  required  as  to  the 
fate  of  this  petition.  It  was  presented  about 
the  time  Captain  Bond  was  badly  wounded  and 
disabled  at  Hagerstown,  as  above  noted,  and  as  a 
result  of  his  wound  and  subsequent  imprisonment 
the  vacancy  had  to  be  filled  by  another  appoint- 
ment so  that  it  never  devolved  upon  the  authori- 
ties of  the  Confederate  War  Department  to  for- 
mally take  up  and  answer  the  petition. 

After  the  war  General  Bond  returned  to  the 
old  ])lantation  at  Jessups  and  was  actively  engaged 
in  farming  there  for  many  years.  His  successful 
position  as  a  planter  and  his  fine  record  as  a 
soldier  naturally  made  him  a  prominent  public 
figure  and  for  eight  years  he  had  the  honor  to 
.serve  as  adjutant  general  of  Maryland.  He  first 
served  under  appointment  from  Gov.  James 
Black  Groome  and  by  second  appointment  from 
Gov.  John  Lee  Carroll. 

General  Bond  married  Miss  Elizabeth  P.  Hughes. 
Her  grace  and  dignity  and  efficiency  have  served 
to  add  many  of  the  charms  to  the  Hunter's  Lodge. 
Mrs.  Bond  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  but  was 
reared  in  Maryland,  where  she  and  the  general 
vpere  married. 

Alexander  Maktin  Sjiith.  A  man  of  distinc- 
tive energy,  sound  judgment,  and  rare  business 
qualifications,  Alexander  Martin  Smith,  a  promi- 
nent shoe  manufacturer  and  tanner  of  Elkin,  Surry 
County,  North  Carolina,  has  gained  prestige  in  in- 
dustrial circles,  and  won  a  splendid  success  in  the 
business  world — his  prosperity  in  life  being  due 
entirely  to  his  own  efforts.     Self  supporting  since 


^    ^7^Zy(^.  ^^^  .^^.^^^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


97 


his  boyhood  days,  he  has  surely  been  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortunes,  and  a  brief  resume  of 
his  life  may  be  of  interest  and  benefit  to  the 
younger  people  of  this  and  succeeding  generations. 

He  was  born  April  3,  1867,  on  a  plantation  in 
the  historic  Charlotte  County  of  Virginia.  In  this 
county  both  his  mother,  Hallie  Lawson,  and  liis 
father.  Captain  Jack  Smith,  and  his  grandfather, 
John  I).  Smith,  were  born  and  reared.  The  Smith 
ancestors  came  from  Georgia — having  belonged 
to  the  family  of  Smiths  from  which  the  famous 
Bill  Arp  sprung.  On  the  maternal  side  he  is 
descended  ilirectly  from  two  famous  Virginia 
families,  his  grandmother  being  Angeline  Mar- 
shall, a  direct  descendant  of  the  noted  jurist,  John 
Marshall;  his  grandfather,  George  Lawson,  a  man 
proudly  inheriting  the  traits  of  this  noble  and 
ancient  English  family. 

His  father,  Jack  Smith,  was  noted  for  his 
energy  and  public  spirit,  being  an  insiairation  for 
education  and  all  forward  movements  in  his 
county.  He  served  gallantly  in  the  Confederate 
Army,  having  been  made  captain  for  conspicuous 
service  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  As  most 
Southern  families  of  note,  Mr.  Smith 's  family 
were  cripi>led  financially  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
having  dedicated  their  means  as  well  as  theif 
sons,  fathers  and  brothers  to  the  Lost  Cause.  So 
this  made  it  necessary  for  Alexander  M.  Smith 
to  stop  school  at  an  early  age,  for  we  find  him  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years  a  clerk  in  a  general  coun- 
try store  at  Cole  's  Ferry,  Virginia.  Much  of  the 
trade  at  that  point  was  with  farmers,  many  of 
whom,  after  doing  a  day 's  work,  came  a  long  dis- 
tance to  buy  supplies,  the  store  often  being  open 
until  midnight,  making  the  lad's  day  many  hours 
long. 

After  four  years  in  this  position  he  went  to 
Lynchburg,  Virginia,  and  was  employed  as  a  ship- 
ping clerk  by  Witt  &  Watkins,  wholesale  shoe 
dealers.  He  worked  in  the  house  one  year  and 
then  went  ' '  on  the  road  "  as  a  "  drummer  boy ' ' 
for  the  firm.  He  kept  this  position  for  nine  years. 
At  the  end  of  this  time  he  went  into  business  with 
Berry,  Gilliam  &  Co.,  and  travelled  for  the  house. 

In  1892  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Elkin,  Surry  County, 
North  Carolina,  and  established  a  tannery  and 
shoe  factory  on  the  banks  of  the  Elkin  Creek,  be- 
ginning in  a  small  way  with  $600  worth  of  second 
hand  machinery,  six  vats  in  the  tan  yard,  and  a 
force  of  eight  men.  Previous  to  this  time,  several 
shoe  factories  had  been  started  in  the  South,  each 
one  jjroving  a  failure,  so  failure  with  a  capital  F 
was  predicted  for  Mr.  Smith.  Evidently  he  thought 
it  a  risky  venture,  as  he  continued  as  a  travelling 
salesman  for  two  years.  With  the  qualities  of 
unbounded  energy,  courage,  hope  and  sterling  hon- 
esty, Mr.  Smith 's  effort  could  only  spell  success. 
He  had  the  ambition  to  make  the  longest  lived 
shoe  in  America  and  he  succeeded.  Throughout 
the  Piedmont  and  mountain  sections  of  North 
Carolina,  Virginia  and  Tennessee,  Elkin  Shoes  are 
household  words.  The  brand  ' '  Elkin  Home  Made 
Shoe "  is  a  guarantee  to  the  working  peo])le,  and 
to  them  means  a  more  lasting  and  better  wearing 
shoe  than  anybody  else  can  make.  The  merchants 
say  the  farmers  demand  them.  Mr.  Smith 's 
motto  was,  ' '  Not  how  much  money  I  can  make 
out  of  a  pair  of  shoes,  but  how  mucli  real  service 
and  durability  I  can  put  into  a  pair. ' '  He  holds 
to  the  Emersonian  idea  that  if  you  can  do  any- 
thing better  than  somebody  else  the  world  will 
make  a  beaten  path  to  your  door;  and  this  has 
been  literally  true.  For  many  years  Mr.  Smith 
Vol.  rv— 7 


employed  no  salesmen  and  the  shoes  actually  sold 
themselves. 

In  1909,  owing  to  the  demands  of  constantly  in- 
creasing business,  Mr.  Smith  erected  a  modern 
brick  factory  and  tannery,  equipped  throughout 
with  the  most  up-to-date  and  approved  machinery. 
All  the  leather  used  in  the  shoes  is  tanned  in  his 
yard. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  three  times  married.  He 
married  first,  in  1892,  Miss  Frances  Gwyn  of  El- 
kin, a  daughter  of  Richard  and  MoUie  Dickinson 
Gwyn.  On  the  paternal  side  Mrs.  Smith  was  a 
descendant  of  Gen.  William  Lenoir  and  Col. 
Thomas  Lenoir  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Both  the 
Gwyns  and  Lenoirs  have  been  conspicuous  names  in 
the  history  of  Western  North  Carolina  for  gen- 
erations, members  of  the  family  holding  the  most 
responsible  positions  in  public  and  private  life 
throughout  the  years.  Mrs.  Smith  passed  to  the 
higher  life  in  1896,  leaving  two  children,  Richard 
Gwyn  and  Harriet  Marshall.  The  second  time  Mr. 
Smith  married  Carrie  Gwyn,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Amelia  (Dickinson)  Gwyn  of  Elkin,  a 
double  first  cousin  of  the  first  wife.  She  lived 
but  one  short  year  after  their  marriage. 

In  1902  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Purcell  of  Red  Springs,  North  Carolina,  a 
daughter  of  John  Edwin  and  Cornelia  McCal- 
hmi  Pureell  of  Robeson  County.  Both  Mrs. 
Smith 's  maternal  and  paternal  ancestors  have 
been  influential  in  the  history  of  the  Cape  Fear 
section  of  North  Carolina  since  Colonial  days, 
and  her  kinfolk  on  both  the  McCallum  and  Pur- 
cell  side  are  still  making  history  for  that  fine 
Scotch  section  of  ' '  the  Old  North  State, ' '  proving 
that  no  peoples  are  the  superiors  and  few  the 
equals   of   the    ' '  Scotch    Irish. ' ' 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  man  of  great  modesty  and  of  a 
most  retiring  disposition,  so  his  name  has  been 
very  little  in  the  public  eye.  His  influence,  though, 
is  felt  in  the  community  and  he  is  unquestionably 
on  the  right  side,  and  invariably  his  heart  is  in 
the  right  place,  and  his  hand  reaches  to  his 
pocket  book  for  the  public  good  even  when  he  has 
nothing  to  say. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  and  children  are  members 
of  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  generous 
contributors  to  its  support.  Mr.  Smith  has  been 
a  prodigal  giver,  among  his  larger  donations  hav- 
ing been  one  of  $10,000  to  the  Orphanage  in  Win- 
ston-Salem and  one  of  $5,000  to  a  hospital  in 
Huchow,  China,  and  a  recent  gift  of  $2,000  to  the 
superannuate  members  of  the  Western  North  Caro- 
lina Conference.  He  likewise  pays  the  salary  and 
expenses  of  Doctor  Manget,  the  physician  in  charge 
of  the  institution. 

Samukl  W.  Cromer.  Almost  continuously  from 
the  day  he  was  released  from  a  northern  prison  at 
the  close  of  the  war  between  the  states,  Samuel  W. 
Cromer  has  been  engaged  in  merchandising,  and 
through  an  active  half  century  he  has  tasted  of 
satisfying  success  and  those  honors  and  the  posi- 
tion due  to  the  substantial  business  man  and  pub- 
lic spirited  citizen. 

Mr.  Cromer  was  born  on  a  farm  at  Round 
Meadows  in  Montgomery  County,  Virginia,  March 
.3,  1842.  He  is  of  German  ancestry.  His  grand- 
father was  born  in  Germany,  and  on  coming  to 
America  located  in  Montgomery  County,  Virginia, 
where  the  rest  of  his  life  was  spent.  He  died  com- 
paratively young,  leaving  his  wife  a  widow  with 
several  children  to  care  for.  Eight  years  after  his 
death    she    went    West    to    live    with    a    daughter. 


98 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


William  Cromer,  father  of  Samuel  W.,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  County,  Virginia,  and  his  birth 
occurred  four  months  after  his  father 's  death. 
Thus  deprived  of  a  father  's  care  he  came  face  to 
face  with  the  serious  responsibilities  of  life  at  a 
very  early  age.  When  his  mother  went  West  he 
remained  in  Montgomery  County  with  an  older 
brother,  and  he  soon  put  his  strength  to  test  in  a 
self-supporting  career.  Fortunately  he  had  been 
reared  to  good  habits,  was  industrious,  and  being 
thrifty  he  saved  his  earnings  and  a  few  years  after 
his  marriage  was  able  to  buy  a  small  farm.  This 
was  subsequently  sold  in  order  to  buy  a  larger  one. 
In  his  ambition  to  provide  for  his  family  he  went 
to  the  extreme  in  hard  woik,  frequently  exposed 
himself,  and  finally  lost  his  health.  At  the  age  of 
fifty-six  he  sold  his  farm  and  bought  a  home  in 
the  Village  of  Auburn.  Later  he  exchanged  that 
for  a  small  tract  of  land  adjoining  the  village 
and  lived  there  quietly  until  his  death  at  the  age 
or  seventy-eight.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Deborah  Lucas.  She  was  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  Virginia,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Catherine  (Davis)  Lucas  and  member  of  an  old 
Virginia  family.  The  Lucases  owned  and  occupied 
a  farm  in  the  locality  known  as  Rough  and  Ready 
in  Montgomery  County.  Mrs.  William  Cromer 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-six.  Her  eight  children 
were  Mary,  Andrew,  Samuel  W.,  Virginia,  Charles, 
Olivia,  Eveline  and  Franklin. 

When  the  work  of  the  home  farm  did  not  require 
his  attention  Samuel  W.  Cromer  attended  the 
country  schools,  and  in  that  way  he  spent  liis  years 
until  he  was  eighteen.  At  that  age  he  became 
clerk  in  a  general  store  at  Auburn,  and  was  mak- 
ing fair  progress  toward  independence  as  a  busi- 
ness man  when  the  war  broke  out  and  in  1861  he 
left  the  counter  to  enlist  in  Company  F  of  the 
Eleventh  Virginia  Infantry.  Many  times  he  was 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting,  he  marched  many 
weary  miles,  and  he  experienced  all  the  liardships 
of  a  soldier's  life  and  all  its  dangers.  Neverthe- 
less he  escaped  any  serious  injury.  Once  a  bullet 
grazed  his  arm  biit  without  making  it  necessary 
for  him  to  leave  the  ranks.  On  the  first  of  April, 
1865,  he  was  captured  l)y  the  enemy  and  taken  to 
Point  Lookout,  Maryland,  where  he  was  retained  a 
prisoner  of  war  until  June. 

On  being  released  he  returned  home  becoming 
clerk  in  store  at  Christiansburg,  Virginia,  later  he 
opened  a  store  at  New  Port,  Tennessee,  and  after 
about  fifteen  months  of  successful  merchandising 
he  returned  to  Auburn,  Virginia,  where  he  organ- 
ized a  tobacco  and  mercantile  business.  From 
there  he  removed  to  DanvUle,  Virginia,  where  he 
was  in  the  livery  and  mercantile  business.  Sold 
out  there  in  1892  and  opened  his  present  business, 
wholesale  grocery,  being  twenty-five  years  in  busi- 
ness at  Winston-Salem. 

Mr.  Cromer  was  married  January  12,  1870,  to 
Miss  Mary  Rowena  Jack,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Dewitt) 
.Tack.  Mr.  aiul  Mrs.  Cromer  have  reared  five  chil- 
dren: William  Jack,  who  married  Selina  Reid; 
Charles  Dewitt,  who  married  Carrie  L.  Crutehfield 
and  has  two  daughters,  Alice  Rowena  and  LilUan 
RufBn;  Elizabeth  D.,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  L. 
Brugh,  associated  with  Mr.  Cromer  in  the  business; 
Mary  B.,  wife  of  C.  R.  King,  and  Clarence  F.,  who 
is  unmarried. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cromer  are  active  members  of  the 
Centenary  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Winston- 
Salem.  He  is  one  of  its  trustees  while  his  son 
Charles  is  on  the  board  of  stewards.     Mr.  Cromer 


is  afliliated  with  Winston  Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  Winston  Chapter 
No.  24,  Royal  Arcli  Masons,  and  mingles  with  old 
army  comrades  in  Norfleet  Camp  of  the  United 
Confederate  Veterans. 

Edward  Ch.\mbers  Smith,  son  of  William  N. 
H.  Smith,  chief  justice  of  North  Carolina  1878- 
1889,  and  Mary  Olivia  (Wise)  Smith,  was  born 
at  Murfreesboro,  North  Carolina,  August  21,  1857. 
He  was  prepared  for  college  at  Gait 's  School  at 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  at  the  Lovejoy  Academy,  in 
Raleigh,  and  at  the  famous  Bingham  (Military) 
School  then  at  Mebane,  North  Carolina.  In  1877 
he  entered  Davidson  College,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  honors  in  1881.  While  at  David- 
son he  became  a  member  of  the  Kappa  Alpha 
(Southern)  fraternity,  and  in  the  general  conven- 
tion of  that  fraternity  at  Atlanta  in  1881  he  was 
awarded  the  essayist's  medal  over  twenty-five  com- 
petitors from  southern  colleges,  and  in  the  same 
year  he  was  awarded  the  debaters '  medal  by  his 
college.  His  interest  in  his  fraternity  continued 
after  the  close  of  his  college  career,  and  from 
1901  to  1911,  and  from  1912  to  1913  he  served  as 
knight  commander,  the  highest  official  in  the  na- 
tional fraternity. 

In  1882  Mr.  Smith  entered  the  Law  School  of 
tlie  University  of  Nortli  Carolina  under  the  late 
Dr.  John  Manning,  and  in  1883  completed  his  law 
course  at  the  University  of  Virginia  under  the  late 
Dr.  John  B.  Minor,  thus  having  the  advantage  of 
being  prepared  for  his  profession  under  two  of 
the  greatest  law  teachers  of  their  generation.  In 
1883  lie  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  North  Caro- 
lina and  became  associated  with  Fuller  and  Snow, 
a  leading  legal  firm  at  Raleigh,  with  whom  he  con- 
tinued in  practice  until  1890.  Since  then  he  has 
practiced  his  profession  alone,  building  up  an 
extensive  clientele  as  a  corporation  lawyer.  He 
was  for  many  years  attorney  for  the  North  Caro- 
lina Car  Company,  the  Caraleigh  Cotton  Mills,  and 
the  Caraleigh  Phosphate  and  Fertilizer  Works.  In 
each  of  these  corporations  he  is  a  director.  He  is 
also  a  director  in  the  North  Carolina  Home  In- 
surance Company,  the  King  Drug  Company,  Farm- 
ers Cotton  Oil  Company,  and  other  corporations. 
He  was  state  's  proxy  in  the  North  Carolina  Rail- 
way Company,  and  afterwards  served  for  many 
years  on  its  board  of  directors,  and  as  chairman 
"of  its  finance  committee,  of  which  he  is  still  a 
member. 

Mr.  Smith  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs.  His  political  affiliations  are 
with  the  democratic  party.  From  1886  to  1896 
he  served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Internal  Im'provements.  In  1888  he  served  as  an 
alderman  of  the  City  of  Raleigh,  and  at  the  same 
time  as  chairman  of"  the  Wake  County  Democratic 
Executive  Committee.  His  success  in  this  small 
field  led  to  his  election  in  1890  as  chairman  of 
the  State  Democratic  Executive  Committee,  and  as 
such  he  successfully  directed  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant political  campaigns  in  the  history  of  North 
Carolina,  involving  among  other  important  results, 
tlie  re-election  of  Zebulon  Baird  Vance  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  He  was  re-elected  in  1892 
but  had  to  decline.  In  1888,  1892,  and  1904  he 
was  one  of  the  delegates  from  North  Carolina  to 
the  national  democratic  conventions,  and  served  as 
chairman  of  the  rules  committee  in  the  convention 
of  1888,  and  as  a  member  of  the  platform  commit- 
tee in  the  convention  of  1904.     In  1915,  without 


J^^\ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


99 


solicitation  on  his  part,  Mr.  Smith  was  appointed 
by  Governor  Craig  as  member  and  was  elected  as 
chairman  of  the  North  Carolina  Fisheries  Commis- 
sion Board,  created  by  the  General  Assembly  of 
1915  with  full  control  over  the  regulations  of  the 
fishing  industry  in  North  Carolina.  In  this  ca- 
pacity he  has  rendered  conspicuous  service  to  the 
state  in  the  development  of  this  important  in- 
dustry. 

On  January  12,  1892,  Mr.  Smith  was  married 
to  Miss  Annie  Badger  Faison,  a  granddaughter  of 
George  E.  Badger,  distinguished  as  a  lawyer,  cab- 
inet official,  and  senator.  They  have  five  children, 
one  girl  and  four  boys,  three  of  whom  are  (1918) 
in  the  military  and  naval  service  of  the  United 
States  Government,  while  a  fourth  is  in  training 
at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute. 

John  Jay  Bl.^ik,  widely  known  over  the  state 
as  a  prominent  educator,  has  been  superintendent 
of  the  city  schools  of  Wilmington  since  January, 
1899.  In  tliat  period  of  eighteen  years  he  has 
been  a  thoughtful  and  energetic  leader  in  the 
improvements  and  uplift  of  the  city  school  sys- 
tem, and  at  the  same  time  has  identified  himself 
closely  with  general  educational  movements. 

Mr.  Blair  was  born  at  High  Point  in  Guilford 
County,  North  Carolina,  and  is  a  graduate  of 
Haverford  College  in  Pennsylvania.  His  first  im- 
portant work  as  a  school  man  was  done  at  Win- 
ston, where  he  was  principal  of  the  high  school 
and  subsequently  superintendent  of  the  city  school 
system.  From  there  he  came  to  Wilmington,  as 
already  noted. 

Mr.  Blair  is  president  of  the  North  Carolina 
State  Teachers'  Association,  an  office  which  in 
itself  indicates  his  standing  in  educational  cii-cles. 
He  is  also  president  of  the  City  Superintendents' 
Association. 

Joseph  H.  Phillips  for  niauy  years  was  ac- 
tively identified  with  the  lumber  industry  in  and 
around  Winston-Salem,  and  operated  also  lum- 
ber businesses  in  several  adjoining  towns.  His 
family  is  one  of  the  very  earliest  to  locate  in 
Forsyth  County,  North  Carolina.  The  City  of 
Winston-Salcm  lost  an  esteemed  citizen  through 
the  death  of  Mr.  Phillips  on  April  10,  1917. 

Mr.  Phillips  was  born  at  Waughtown,  Septem- 
ber 3,  1866.  Tracing  his  ancestry  back  several 
generations  he  is  a  descendant  of  John  and  Ann 
Phillips,  whose  son  David  Phillips  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1781.  David  married  Sarah  Pike,  who 
was  born  September  9,  1780,  a  daughter  of  Nathan 
and  Elizabeth  Pike.  Both  the  PhilliiJS  and  Pike 
families  were  among  the  pioneers  of  what  is  now 
Forsyth  County.  Joseph  Phillips,  a  son  of  David 
and  grandfatlier  of  Joseph  H.,  was  born  in  what 
is  now  Forsyth  County  December  6,  1801.  He 
owned  and  occupied  a  farm  in  Broad  Bay  Town- 
ship, and  died  there  October  8,  18.53.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Eebecca  Wright,  and  she 
was  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  Wright  and 
was  born  October  29,  1803,  and  died  January  28, 
1875.  Both  she  and  her  husband  were  active 
members  of  the  Primitive  Baptist  Church.  Their 
two  children  were  named  William  W.  and  Craw- 
ford Tatnm. 

Crawford  Tatum  Phillips,  father  of  Joseph  H., 
was  born  in  Broad  Bay  Township  of  Forsyth 
County  and  during  his  early  manhood  served  an 
apprenticeship  in  Phillip  Nissen  's  wagon  factory. 
Later  he  enlisted  and  served  during  the  war  be- 
tween the   states  in   Company   E   of  the   Twenty- 


first  Begimeut,  North  Carolina  Troops.  When 
the  war  was  over  he  resumed  work  at  his  trade 
in  the  Nissen  factory,  and  continued  there  until 
1876.  In  that  year  he  bought  a  farm  at  Union 
Cross  in  Abbott 's  Creek  Township  and  from  that 
time  forward  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
seven,  he  applied  his  efforts  successfully  to  gen- 
eral farming.  He  married  Lucinda  Spach,  who 
was  born  in  Broad  Bay  Township,  a  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Mrs.  (Swain)  Spach.  She  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Adam  Spach,  ancestor  of 
many  of  the  best  known  families  in  Western 
North  Carolina.  Crawford  T.  Phillips  and  wife 
reared  seven  children:  Josepli  Hilton,  Samuel 
L.,  Nancy  E.,  Lucius  D.,  John  R.,  Mary  Magda- 
lene and  Charles  Isaac. 

When  Joseph  II.  Phillips  was  ten  years  of  age 
his  parents  moved  out  to  the  farm,  and  he  grew 
up  in  a  country  atmosphere,  getting  his  knowl- 
edge largely  through  country  schools.  Soon  after 
he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  he  married  and  re- 
moved to  Walnut  Cove,  where  for  a  few  years  he 
had  a  mercantile  experience.  It  was  with  rather 
limited  capital  that  he  entered  the  lumber  in- 
dustry. He  bought  a  portable  sawmill  and  a  tract 
of  standing  timber,  and  for  several  years  used 
his  mill  in  converting  that  timber  into  merchant- 
able lumber.  He  operated  in  that  way  until 
189.J,  when  he  sold  his  mill  and  began  dealing  in 
lumber  at  Winston-Salem.  He  had  as  a  partner 
M.  D.  Smith,  and  subsequently  they  incorporated 
the  business.  After  two  years  in  the  corporation 
Mr.  Phillips  sold  his  interest,  but  soon  afterward 
resumed  business  on  his  own  account.  He  estab- 
lished a  yard  at  Centerville  and  another  at  West 
Highland,  and  these  yards  he  conducted  until  his 
death,  supplying  practically  all  the  lumber 
used  in   those  communities. 

Mr.  Phillips  was  first  married  in  1884  to  Miss 
Virginia  Willard,  who  was  born  in  Guilford 
County,  a  daught<?r  of  Joseph  Willard.  She  died 
in  1899.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Phillips  mar- 
ried Carrie  Pardue,  who  was  born  in  WUkes 
County,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Susan  (Adams) 
Pardue,  both  of  whom  spent  all  their  lives  in 
Wilkes  County,  where  her  father  was  an  active 
farmer.  Mrs.  Phillips'  brother,  Elbert  Martin, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Confederate  army. 

By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Phillips  had  three 
children:  Cora,  Carrie  and  Percy.  There  are  also 
three  children  of  the  second  marriage,  Pansy, 
Ollie  and  Stokes  P.  The  daughter  Cora  is  the 
wife  of  J.  Wilbur  Crews,  and  her  four  children 
are  Sherrell,  Alline,  Selina  and  Eloise.  Carrie 
married  Alvin  W.  Linville  and  had  two  children, 
Joseph  Dwiglit  and  Dorris.  Percy  by  his  mar- 
riage to  Lulu  Hastings  has  a  daughter,  Kathleen 
A'irginia.  Pansy  May  is  the  wife  of  Beecher  Heit- 
man. 

Mr.  Phillips  took  an  active  part  in  Masonry, 
having  been  past  master  of  Winston  Lodge  No. 
167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  past 
high  priest  of  Winston  Chapter  No.  21,  Royal 
Arch  Masons;  past  eminent  commander  of  Pied- 
mont Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  Templar-  and 
he  was  also  affiliated  with  Oasis  Temple  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  at  Cliarlotte. 

Alfred  Augustus  Thompson.  There  is  a  class 
of  individuals  who,  in  their  own  localities,  are 
naturally  conceded  leadership  in  public  and  private 
enterprises,  this  industrial  power  being  conferred 
by  popular  recognition  of  superior  ability.  Talents 
of  a  diversified  nature  prepare  these  men  to  lead 


91004A- 


100 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


enterprises  of  a  varied  nature,  and  they  are, 
therefore,  placed  in  a  position  to  render  highly 
valued  service  to  their  communities,  wliile  secur- 
ing for  themselves  a  competence  sufficient  to  their 
needs.  By  promoting  ventures  of  an  industrial 
and  financial  nature  and  through  his  direct  service 
as  a  public  official,  Alfred  Augustus  Thompson, 
of  Raleigh,  has  accomplished  just  such  a  double 
result  of  his  labors.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  Capital  City  of  North  Carolina  for  nearly 
forty-five  years,  and  in  this  time  has  not  only 
risen  to  prominence  in  the  cotton  industry,  but 
has  served  as  the  chief  executive  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  near  Pittsboro,  Chat- 
ham County,  North  Carolina,  February  24,  1852, 
and  is  a  soii  of  George  \V.  and  Cornelia  E.  (Marsh) 
Thompson,  the  latter  of  whom  lived  at  Ashboro, 
Randolph  County,  prior  to  her  marriage.  His 
education  was  secured  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  county  and  his  early  manhood  was  passed 
on  the  farm,  ' '  amid  field  and  forest,  in  a  country 
beautiful  for  situation."  He  was  still  a  young 
man  when  he  came  to  Raleigh  and  became  identi- 
fied with  the  cotton  industry.  His  start  in  this 
direction  was  a  modest  one,  but  his  energy,  Indus 
try  and  inherent  al)ility  won  him  promotion  from 
one  position  of  trust  and  responsibility  to  another, 
until  at  this  time  he  is  president  of  two  of  the 
leading  mills  of  this  part  of  the  state,  the  Raleigh 
and  the  Caraleigh  cotton  mills.  Various  other 
enterprises  have  had  the  benefit  of  his  good  judg- 
ment, foresight  and  acumen,  and  in  addition  to 
'other  ventures  identified  with  the  industrial  life 
of  the  capital  city,  he  is  vice  president  of  the 
Commercial  National  Bank. 

In  the  civil  life  of  the  capital  he  has  been  a 
prominent  figure.  He  was  mayor  when  the  office 
of  chief  executive  of  the  City  of  Oaks  was  com- 
bined with  that  of  judge  of  the  municipal  court, 
and  his  administration  was  characterized  not  only 
by  business-like  handling  of  the  city  's  affairs,  but 
by  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  law  as  regarding 
offenders.  During  his  career  he  has  developed 
into  one  of  the  most  forceful  orators  of  the  capital, 
and  his  voice  is  frequently  heard  from  the  rostrum 
in  public  speeches  supporting  movements  for  the 
benefit  of  his  adopted  city. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Raleigh,  of  which  he  is  a  deacon, 
and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  its  work.  With 
his  interesting  family,  he  resides  in  a  beautiful 
home  in  New  Bern  Avenue. 

L.  E.  Rabb.  The  manufacture  of  furniture  has 
been  brought  to  a  high  state  of  perfection  as  to 
appearance,  comfort  and  utility,  and  one  of  the 
leading  men  in  this  and  in  other  industrial  lines 
in  Caldwell  Countv,  is  L.  E.  R-abb,  secretary,  treas- 
urer and  manager  of  the  Royal  Furniture  Company 
at   Lenoir,   and  the  Caldwell  Furniture   Company 

at  Valmead.  ■      /,  »      v 

Mr.  Rabb  was  born  near  Newton,  in  Catawba 
Countv  North  Carolina.  His  parents  were  J. 
Frank"  and  Sarah  (Arndt)  Rabb,  the  former  being 
deceased.  The  Rabb  family  came  to  North  Caro- 
lina from  Pennsvlvania,  at  a  very  early  day  and 
on  account  of  their  numbers,  they  called  their 
place  of  settlement  the  Rabb  community.  They 
have  always  been  a  quiet,  frugal,  industrious  people 
and  wherever  the  name  is  found  today,  there  wiU 
also  be  found  independent  means,  sterling  honesty 
and  good  citizenship.  In  the  grandfather's  family 
there  were  two  sons  whose  achievements,  one  m 
business  and  the  other  in  public  life,  carried  their 


names  into  other  sections,  J.  Frank  and  Col.  George 
W.  Rabb. 

J.  Frank  Rabb  was  born  in  Catawba  County 
and  after  his  school  days,  adopted  farming  as  his 
vocation.  For  many  years  he  carried  on  large 
agricultural  operations  in  his  native  county  and 
then  became  interested  in  a  mercantile  enterprise 
at  Lenoir.  Having  removed  from  Catawba  to 
Caldwell  County,  he  became  interested  in  farming, 
and  to  its  development  he  devoted  his  remaining 
years.  His  death  occurred  at  Lenoir  in  1914.  He 
had  served  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the 
entire  period  of  the  war  between  the  states. 

Col.  George  W.  Rabb,  brother  of  the  late  J. 
Frank  Rabb,  and  uncle  of  L.  E.  Rabb,  is  one  of 
tlic  best  known  men  of  Catawba  County.  He  lives 
on  the  old  homestead  situated  about  half  way  be- 
tween Newton  and  Maiden,  in  Catawba  County, 
wliich  has  been  his  lifelong  home.  He  served 
through  the  war  between  the  states,  in  the  Con- 
federate service,  entering  as  a  private  and  winning 
]romotion  through  distinguished  bravery,  sacrific- 
ing, however,  one  of  his  legs.  Thus  handicapped 
in  young  manhood  he  began  to  build  up  his  for- 
tunes from  the  cobbler's  bench,  and  today  he  is  one 
of  the  capitalists  of  Catawba,  the  owner  of  a  fine 
farm,  and  of  quite  extensive  cotton  mill  interests 
at  Maiden,  together  with  stock  in  numerous  other 
industrial  concerns.  He  is  held  in  esteem  that 
amounts  to  affection,  in  Catawba  County,  and  it 
has  been  said  that  there  he  can  have  anything, 
political  or  otherwise,  that  he  asks  for.  For  some 
years  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, in  each  campaign  carrying  Catawba  County, 
normally  republican,  for  the  democratic  party. 

L.  E."  Rabb  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and 
was  educated  in  the  local  schools.  In  1897  he 
removed  from  Catawba  to  Caldwell  County  and 
embarked  in  farming  here  in  which  he  continued 
until  1910,  when  he  started  into  business  as  a 
manufacturer  at  Lenoir.  It  was  about  this  time 
that  he  became  interested  in  the  manufacture  of 
furniture  here  and  since  then  has  had  much  to  do 
with  establishing  the  supremacy  of  Lenoir  as  a 
manufacturing  center. 

The  Royal  Furniture  Company's  plant,  located 
at  Lenoiri  is  an  exceedingly  flourishing  industry. 
The  machinery  and  equipments  of  this  plant  are 
utilized  for  the  manufacture  of  a  general  line  of 
bed  room  suits,  in  mahogany,  walnut  and  oak.  Mr. 
Rabb  is  a  heavy  stockholder  and  is  secretary, 
treasurer  and  manager  of  this  concern,  and  oc- 
cupies similar  relations  with  the  Caldwell  Furniture 
Company,  the  plant  of  which  is  located  at  Valmead, 
two  miles  distant  from  Lenoir,  the  products  of 
this  plant  being  buffets,  odd  dressers,  chiffoniers, 
manufactured  from  plain  and  quartered  oak.  Mr. 
Rabb  additionally,  is  the  owner  of  the  plant  and 
business  of  the  Lenoir  Manufacturing  Company, 
manufacturers  of  general  building  material,  sash, 
doors,  blinds,  etc.,  and  he  is  also  a  stockholder  and 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Union  Cotton  Mills 
at  Maiden. 

Mr.  Rabb  was  married  in  Caldwell  County,  to 
Miss  Eleanor  Boone  Miller,  and  they  have  one  son, 
John  Perkins  Rabb.  Mrs.  Rabb's  people,  the 
Millers,  were  among  the  organizers  of  Caldwell 
County.  One  of  her  ancestral  lines  connects  her 
with  the  g:reat  explorer,  frontiersman  and  Indian 
fighter,  Daniel  Boone. 

WiLLi.\M  Edg.\r  Perdew.  From  the  time  he 
entered  a  hardware  store  at  Wilmington  at  the  age 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


101 


of  sixteen  William  E.  Perdew  has  had  a  jirogres- 
sive  rise  in  the  scale  of  business  responsibilities, 
and  in  point  of  continuous  service  is  now  one  of 
the  oldest  hardware  merchants  of  the  state.  His 
public  spirit  has  been  on  a  plane  with  his  business 
efficiency,  and  he  has  helped  make  and  plan  the 
greater  and  better  Wilmington  of  the  present  time. 

A  native  of  Wilmington,  where  he  was  born 
April  2.3,  186.5,  he  is  a  son  of  John  William  and 
Mary  Elizabeth  (King)  Perdew.  His  father  was 
a  gun  and  locksmith,  the  family  were  people  in 
moderate  circumstances,  and  William  E.  Perdew 
had  only  a.  few  years  in  which  to  attend  the  private 
schools   of   Wilmington. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  became  an  employe 
with  the  hardware  house  of  Giles  &  Murehison. 
This  old  and  well  known  house  has  been  succeeded 
by  J.  W.  Murehison  &  Company,  and  in  1906  Mr. 
Perdew  beeajne  purchasing  agent  and  a  partner 
in  the  business.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  in 
1901  and  has  since  been  secretary  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Ice  Company,  and  is  president  of  the 
People 's  Building  &  Loan  Association. 

For  the  past  sixteen  years  he  has  been  school 
committeeman  of  district  Xo.  1,  and  is  a  willing 
worker  in  behalf  of  any  movement  for  the  raising 
of  the  standarils  of  the  schools  or  of  any  other 
department  of  the  city's  activities.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  iirst  board  of  commissioners  when 
Wilmington  purchased  the  water  works  and  was 
also  a  city  alderman  and  a  member  of  the  com- 
mission when  the  water  anil  sewer  system  was 
enlarged  and  extended,  and  the  presence  on  the 
board  of  such  an  experienced  and  able  business 
man  enabled  it  to  accomplish  its  work  to  the 
general  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  Mr.  Per- 
dew is  a  member  of  the  Cape  Fear  Club,  the  Cape 
Fear  Country  Club,  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
a  Shriner  and  a  member  of  Sepia  Grotto  of  Master 
Masons.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men.  For  over 
thirty  years  he  has  been  an  active  member  of 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  for  the 
past  five  years  has  been  chairman  of  its  board 
of  stewards. 

On  June  16,  1887,  Mr.  Perdew  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Moore,  of  Philadelphia.  Pennsylvania. 
They  are  the  parents  of  two  children :  John 
William,  a  gradiiate  of  the  class  of  1917  in 
the  I'niversity  of  Xorth  Carolina  and  now  asso- 
ciated with  the  J.  W.  Murehison  Company,  and 
Minnie  Louise,  a  student  in  the  Wilmington  High 
School. 

Capt.  Robert  Row.^x  Crawford  was  one  of 
the  men  who  early  recognized  the  business  and 
commercial  possibilities  of  Winston-Salem,  and 
has  been  actively  identified  with  that  community 
in  a  business  and  civic,  way  for  the  past  forty 
years.  He  still  retains  his  vigorous  hand  in  busi- 
ness life,  though  he  is  approaching  the  age  of 
four  score  and  has  had  a  long  and  most  varied 
experience,  including  service  in  the  war  between 
the  states,  in  which  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain. 

Captain  Crawford  was  born  on  a  farm  two 
miles  south  of  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  Octo- 
ber 14,  1839.  The  Crawfords  are  of  Scotch-Irish 
ancestry.  In  the  Lancaster  District  of  South  Car- 
olina three  of  the  most  substantial  and  prominent 
early  fpmilies  were  the  Crawfords,  WTiites  and 
Jacksons,  including  ancestors  of  President  Andrew 


Jackson.  It  was  of  this  branch  of  the  Crawford 
family  that  Captain  Crawford  is  a  member.  His 
grandfather,  William  H.  Crawford,  was  born  in 
Lancaster  County,  South  Carolina,  and  had  a  large 
plantation  and  many  slaves.  Hon.  William  Dun- 
lap  Crawford,  father  of  Captain  Crawford,  was 
born  in  Lancaster,  South  Carolina,  in  1806,  and 
in  1825  graduated  from  the  University  of  North 
Carolina.  He  studied  law  with  Cliief  Justice 
Pearson  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1827.  He 
began  ]iractice  at  Salisbury  and  was  successful 
as  an  attorney  and  prominent  in  public  life  until 
his  death  in  184.3.  He  served  creditably  in  both 
branches  of  the  State  Legislature.  In  1828  oc- 
curred his  marriage  to  Miss  Christina  Mull.  She 
was  born  in  Rowan  County,  North  Carolina,  in 
1810.  Her  father,  Thomas  Mull,  was  a  large 
land  owner  near  Salisbury,  and  he  had  a  large 
number  of  slaves  cultivating  his  land  with  the 
aid  of  his  slaves  until  his  death.  Christina  Mull 
was  a  graduate  of  Salem  College.  At  the  death 
of  her  husband  she  was  left  a  widow  with  five 
sons.  Leasing  tlie  plantation  she  removed  to  Mis- 
sissippi, making  the  entire  journey  with  wagon, 
carriage  and  team  and  lived  'with  a  brother  in 
that  state  for  two  years.  After  that  she  resumed 
her  home  on  the  North  Carolina  pilantation,  and 
in  1850  became  the  wife  of  Peter  M.  Brown  of 
Charlotte,  where  she  spent  the  rest  of  her  days 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  The  chOdren 
of  her  first  marriage  were  Thomas  M.,  William 
H.,  James  R.,  Robert  R.  and  Leonidas  W.  All  of 
these  sons  except  Thomas  were  soldiers  in  the 
Confederate  Army,  all  of  them  went  in  as  pri- 
vates, and  in  time  gained  promotion  to  the  rank 
of  captain. 

Robert  Rowan  Crawford  attended  the  Olin 
High  School.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  was 
clerking  in  a  general  store  in  Charlotte.  He  left 
the  counter  in  April,  1861,  to  enlist  in  Hornetnest 
Rifle  Company  B  of  the  First  Regiment,  North 
Carolina  Troops.  He  had  the  distinction  of  par- 
ticipating in  the  first  battle  between  the  North 
and  the  South  at  Big  Bethel,  and  there  he  received 
his  bajitism  of  fire  and  saw  the  first  blood  shed 
of  the  war.  After  six  months  of  service  he  was 
stricken  with  fever  near  Fortress  Monroe  and 
subsequently  .suffered  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  How- 
ever, he  made  rapid  recovery  and  after  his  con- 
valescence he  raised  a  company  at  Salisbury  and 
went  to  the  front  as  its  captain.  This  was  Com- 
pany D  of  tlie  Forty-second  Regiment,  North 
Carolina  Troops.  Captain  Crawford  had  a  long 
and  arduous  service.  Among  other  battles  in 
which  he  participated  were  those  of  Shepards- 
ville,  Newbern,  Cold  Harbor,  Bermuda  Hundred, 
and  the  almost  ceaseless  fighting  around  Peters- 
burg and  Richmond  during  the  last  two  years  of 
the  war.  This  constant  campaigning  and  the  in- 
cident exposure  in  the  trenches  finally  obliged  him 
to  resign  his  commission  in  December,  1864.  The 
only  wound  he  received  was  at  Bermuda  Hundred, 
a  slight  injury  from  a  spent  ball. 

After  tlie  war  Captain  Crawford  engaged  in 
the  hardware  business  at  Salisbury,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1877.  It  was  in  that  year  that  he 
came  to  Winston  and  his  keen  eye  and  good 
business  judgment  quickly  realized  tJie  increas- 
ing advantages  of  this  town  from  a  commercial 
standpoint.  He  removed  his  family  to  the  city, 
and  for  sixteen  years  was  principally  engaged  in 
the  hardware  business.  In  1908  he  removed  to 
Kansas    Citj',   Missouri,   to   look   after   some   real 


102 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


estate  belonging  to  his  wife,  anj  there  built  a 
home  and  lived  for  two  years.  He  then  retui'ued 
to  Winston-Salem  and  has  since  been  in  business 
with  his  sons.  In  1910  he  built  his  tine  modern 
home  at  Crafton   Heights,  where   he   still   resides. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-six  Cajjtain  Crawford 
was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Crawford,  who  was 
born  in  Washington,  North  Carolina,  in  1843. 
Her  father,  Thomas  Crawford,  was  a  planter  and 
slave  owner  and  of  Seotch-Irish  ancestry,  but  so 
far  as  known  was  not  related  to  the  Crawford 
family  of  South  Carolina.  Mrs.  Crawford  died 
March  17,  1887.  On  April  24,  1889,  Captain 
Crawford  married  Miss  Ada  W.  Dudley.  She 
was  born  in  Newbern,  North  Carolina,  daughter 
of  David  W.  Dudley,  who  was  born  at  Newbern 
May  29,  1810.  Her  grandfather,  Jacob  Dudley, 
was  bora  at  White  Oaks  in  Craven  County,  and 
from  the  best  information  obtainable  was  a  son 
of  William  Dudley,  who  came  from  Virginia  with 
Bishop  Dudley,  grandfather  of  Governor  Edward 
Bishop  Dudley.  Jacob  Dudley  had  a  plantation 
in  Craven  County.  His  wife  was  Ann  Williamson. 
David  W.  Dudley,  father  of  Mrs.  Crawford,  was 
graduated  from  a  dental  school  at  Philadelphia 
and  practiced  his  profession  at  Newbern  until 
his  death  on  December  26,  1858.  His  wife  was 
Eliza  Bryan  Franklin  Watkins,  who  was  born  in 
Craven  County  October  12,  1810,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Elizabeth  (Hancock)  Franklin  and 
the  widow  of  Becton  Watkins.  Mrs.  Dudley  sur- 
vived her  second  husband  and  died  September  11, 
1891,  in  her  eighty-first  year.  By  her  first  mar- 
riage to  Mr.  Watkins  slie  reared  two  children, 
Mary  and  Elizabeth.  Her  second  marriage  re- 
sulted in  three  children,  Annie  Eliza,  John  Jacob 
and  Ada.  The  son,  John  Jacob,  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Virginia  and  is  now  living  with 
his  sister  Annie  in  Pasadena,  California. 

Mrs.  Crawford  was  liberally  educated  at  Salem 
College  and  also  attended  a  convent  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crawford  have  three 
sons,  named  John  Dudley,  Franklin  L  and  David 
D.  The  son,  John  D.,  is  now  in  the  United  States 
Regular  Army. 

Captain  Crawford  also  has  three  children  by  his 
first  marriage,  Thomas  B.,  Robert  R.  and  Chris- 
tina. Thomas  B.  married  Annie  Cheatam  and  has 
three  children,  Thomas  B.,  Caroline  and  James 
W.  Christina  married  Norvelle  R.  Walker,  of 
Richmond,  Virginia.  Robert  R.  married  Miss 
Mary  Price  Hobson. 

Cajitain  Crawford  and  his  sons  are  now  pro- 
prietors of  Crawford  Mills  Supply  Company,  and 
they  transact  a  large  business  through  their  head- 
quarters on  North  Main  Street  in  Winston-Salem. 
The  captain  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of 
the  West  End  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South. 
Captain  Crawford  is  a  member  of  Norfleet  Camp  of 
the  United  Confederate  Veterans.  While  a  resident  of 
Salisbury  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  coun- 
cil and  was  honored  with  the  post  of  treasurer 
of  Forsyth  County  from  1914  until  that  office 
was  abolished  late  in  1916. 

Burt  M.  Hitchcock  spent  much  of  his  early  life 
in  the  country  community  of  the  Village  of  Reids- 
ville,  North  Carolina,  but  finally  removed  to  Win- 
ston-Salem, and  is  now  head  of  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  important  mercantile  establishments  of 
that  city.  His  success  has  been  secured  by  hon- 
orable and  straightforward  methods,  and  he  means 
much  to  the  community  both  as  a  citizen  and  busi- 
ness man. 


Mr.  Hitchcock  was  born  at  Franklin  in  Delaware 
County,  New  York,  and  was  brought  to  North 
Carolina  when  a  child.  His  father  Isaac  L.  Hitch- 
cock was  a  native  of  Delaware  County,  New  York, 
was  reared  and  educated  there  and  learned  the 
trade  of  stone  mason.  From  Delaware  County  he 
removed  to  the  Town  of  Lisle  in  Broome  County, 
New  York,  and  that  was  his  home  until  1871.  For 
several  years  he  had  suffered  ill  health  in  the  cli- 
mate of  the  North  and  finally  he  came  to  the 
milder  climate  of  North  Carolina,  locating  at 
Reidsville,  which  was  then  a  small  hamlet.  So 
far  as  his  health  permitted  he  continued  to  follow 
his  trade,  and  he  lived  at  Reidsville  until  his  death 
in  1889.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Susan 
Ogden.  She  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  New 
York,  a  daughter  of  David  Ogden,  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  and  a  graiuldaughter  of  David 
Ogden,  Sr.  David  Ogden,  St.,  had  a  romantic 
experience  in  early  life.  He  was  captured  by 
Indians  when  a  small  boy,  was  adopted  by  a 
squaw,  and  continued  to  live  with  the  tribe  for 
several  years,  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the 
language  and  the  customs  of  the  Indians.  He 
finally  made  his  escape,  and  in  spite  of  this  expe- 
rience in  a  nomadic  existence,  he  returned  home, 
married,  and  settled  down  quietly  to  the  career  of 
a  farmer.  Mrs.  Isaac  Hitchcock's  father  was  also 
a  farmer  and  spent  all  his  life  in  Delaware  County. 
Mrs.  Isaac  Hitchcock  died  in  June,  1907.  She  was 
the  mother  of  three  children,  Amanda,  Fred  and 
Burt  M.  Amanda  now  lives  with  her  brother 
Burt  at  Winston-Salem.  Fred  is  a  cabinet  maker 
and  lives  at  Atlanta,  Georgia. 

Burt  M.  Hitchcock  was  reared  and  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Reidsville.  When  nine- 
teen years  of  age  he  began  acquiring  a  knowledge 
of  merchandising  by  work  in  a  general  store.  The 
five  years  he  worked  as  a  clerk  gave  him  an  inti- 
mate detailed  knowledge  of  merchandising  and 
proved  the  groundwork  on  which  he  has  since 
become  an  independent  business  man.  He  then 
started  a  store  of  his  own  at  Reidsville,  and  con- 
tinued it  until  1907.  In  that  year  he  removed  to 
Winston-Salem  and  with  H.  L.  Trotter  organized 
the  Hitchcock-Trotter  Company,  with  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock as  president.  This  partnership  was  continued 
for  four  years.  In  1913  the  Ideal  Dry  Goods 
Company  was  organized  with  Mr.  Hitchcock  as 
president,  and  for  the  past  four  years  he  has 
given  the  best  of  his  ability  and  time  to  the  de- 
velopment of  this  store,  which  is  now  one  of 
the  favorite  shopping  places  in  the  business  dis- 
trict of  Winston-Salem. 

Mr.  Hitchcock  was  formerly  a  director  of  the 
Reidsville  Bank  and  while  living  in  that  city  was 
on  the  school  board.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  board  of  stewards  of  the  Methoilist  Episcopal 
Church  South  at  Reidsville,  and  has  a  similar 
official  position  in  the  West  End  Metliodist  Epis- 
copal Church  South  at  Winston-Salem,  which  is 
the  church  home  of  him   and  his  family. 

In  1890  Mr.  Hitchcock  married  Miss  Kate  Ha- 
zell.  She  is  a  native  of  Alamance  County.  The 
Hazcll  family  were  pioneers  in  North  Carolina. 
The  United  States  census  of  1700  has  the  names 
of  Moses,  Kindler  and  Robert  Hazell  as  residents 
of  Stokes  County.  Mrs.  Hitchcock 's  father  Mon- 
roe Hazell  was  an  extensive  and  successful  farmer 
in  Alamance  County.  His  wife  was  Lizzie  Tap- 
scot. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hitchcock  have  five  children :  Lil- 
lian, Hazell,  Frances,  Burt  J.  and  Catherine.  The 
son  Hazell  after  graduating  from  the  high  school 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


103 


entered  the  emjiloy  of  the  R.  J.  Reynolds  Com- 
pany as  a  traveling  salesman  and  has  shown  a 
remarkable  ability  as  a  salesman,  having  made 
good  at  the  start  and  now  being  one  of  the  best 
business  getters  on  the  staff  of  the  traveling  rep- 
resentatives of  this  great  tobacco  house. 

FiNLEY  H.  COFrEY.  The  manufacture  of  furni- 
ture is  an  industry  that  has  been  developed  from 
crude  beginnings,  as  public  taste  and  desire  for 
greater  comfort  have  grown.  In  very  early  days, 
when  careful,  laborious,  patient  handwork,  had 
to  go  into  every  piece,  beginning  with  the  tree 
in  the  forest  and  through  long  drawn  out  stages, 
to  its  final  completion  in  the  cabinet  maker's  shop, 
comparatively  few  could  own  as  many  specimens 
of  handsome,  serviceable  furniture  as  they  desired, 
or  even  needed.  Machinery  has  brought  about 
wonderful  changes  in  this  industry  as  in  others, 
and  it  is  now  possil)le  to  secure,  at  the  manufactur- 
ing head  in  as  large  and  progressive  a  town  as 
Lenoir,  North  Carolina,  furniture  of  the  greatest 
utility  and  at  the  same  time  of  handsome  and  dur- 
able design.  One  of  the  leading  industries  of 
Lenoir  is  the  Kent-Coffey  Manufacturing  Company, 
the  alile  manager  of  which  is  Finley  H.  Coffey,  one 
of  the  town's  substantial  and  representative  citi- 
zens. 

Finley  H.  Coffey  was  born  in  1861,  at  Colletts- 
ville,  Caldwell  County,  North  Carolina.  His  parents 
were  Drury  D.  and  Harriet  (Collett)  Coffey,  the 
former  deceased.  Drury  D.  Coffey  was  also  born 
in  Caldwell  County,  at  a  time  when  it  was  a  part 
of  Wilkes  Coimty,  and  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Coffey 
who  was  born  in  Wilkes.  The  mother  of  Daniel 
Coffey  was  a  Boone,  a  niece  of  the  great  frontiers- 
man, Daniel  Boone.  The  Boones  and  the  Coffeys 
originated  in  Ireland  and  were  among  the  earliest 
settlers  in  Wilkes  and  Watauga  counties.  The 
Cofifeys  have  been  pioneers  likewise  in  other  sec- 
tions, including  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Kansas,  and 
in  the  latter  state  there  is  a  county  and  a  city 
that  perpetuate  the  name. 

The  late  Drury  D.  Coffey  for  many  years  was  a 
jdanter  and  merchant  at  Collettsville,  where  his 
wife  was  born  and  reared,  her  father  being  James 
H.  Collett,  well  known  in  Caldwell  County.  Mr. 
Coffey  served  through  the  war  between  the  states 
in  the  Confederate  service,  in  the  regiment  of  which 
Ma.ior  Harper,  of  Lenoir,  was  an  officer.  Mr. 
Coffey  afterward  represented  his  county  in  the 
State  Legislature  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 
a  member  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners. 
In  1892  accompanied  by  his  family,  he  moved  to 
Junction  City,  Kansas,  and  resided  there  until 
1907,  when  he  returned  to  Caldwell  County  and 
his  death  oecurrt-d  in  1914.  He  was  a  man  of  the 
highest  type  of  character  and  commanded  respect 
and  enjoyed  universal  esteem. 

Finley  H.  Coffey  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home 
place,  on  John  's  River,  Collettsville,  and  received 
his  education  there.  He  was  associated  with  his 
father  in  business  from  early  manhood  and  in  1892, 
with  his  wife,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Kan- 
sas, returning  at  the  same  time  to  North  Carolina. 
Shortly  afterward  Mr.  Coffey  embarked  in  the 
furniture  manufacturing  business  at  Lenoir,  and 
is  financially  interested  in  and  is  the  manager  of 
the  Kent-Coffey  Manufacturing  Company.  This 
plant  constitutes  one  of  the  most  important  in- 
dustrial enterprises  of  this  place,  employing  a  large 
number  of  workmen  and  paying  first  class  wages, 
their    distribution    being    largely    at    Lenoir,    and 


adding  to  the  general  prosperity.  The  product  of 
this  company  is  a  general  line  of  medium  and 
high  grade  furniture. 

Mr.  Coffey  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Rose  Freeze,  and  they  have  four  children:  Irene, 
Harold,  Ethel  and  Archibald.  Mr.  Coffey  is  an 
active,  progressive  and  public  spirited  citizen  and 
seven  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Com- 
missioners of  Lenoir,  his  term  of  office  expiring 
in  the  spring  of  1917.  For  some  year  prior  to 
1916,  he  was  president  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Lenoir.  To  careful  business  men  like  Mr. 
Coffey,  Lenoir  owes  much.  They  direct  capital 
investments  along  safe  business  avenues  without 
speculation,  and  thus  assist  in  laying  a  sound 
foundation  for  stable  commerce. 

Alfred  A.  Kent,  M.  D.  Of  the  men  of  note  of 
Caldwell  County,  few  have  contributed  to  the  wel- 
fare and  advancement  of  their  community  in  so 
many  ways  and  fewer  still  have  attained  distinc- 
tion in  so  many  different  fields  as  has  Dr.  Alfred 
A.  Kent,  of  Lenoir.  In  the  medical  profession  he 
has  fairly  earned  eminence  by  the  display  of 
talents  of  a  marked  character;  as  a  banker  and 
business  man  he  is  at  the  head  of  financial  and 
industrial  enterprises  that  contribute  materially 
to  the  county 's  prestige ;  he  is  a  property  owner 
whose  management  of  his  holdings  serves  to  de- 
velop them  and  to  conserve  the  community 's 
interests,  and  as  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  repre- 
sentative of  the  people  in  offices  of  official  import- 
ance and  responsibility  he  has  carried  on  a  work 
that  entitles  his  name  to  respect  and  his  services 
to  universal  gratitude. 

Dr.  Alfred  A.  Kent  was  born  in  Caldwell 
County,  North  Carolina,  about  four  miles  west  of 
Lenoir,  in  1858,  his  parents  being  Abraham  S. 
anil  Mary  (Miller)  Kent.  His  father  was  born 
in  Fluvanna  County,  Virginia,  and  wlien  a  child, 
about  the  year  1842,  came  witli  his  father,  Archie 
Kent,  to  Caldwell  County.  Archie  Kent  and  his 
family  settled  on  a  farm  about  four  miles  west 
of  Lenoir,  on  the  Morganton  road,  where  Alfred 
A.  Kent  was  born.  Abraham  S.  Kent  was  in  the 
Home  Guard  for  the  Confederacy  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  subsequently  became  a  successful 
planter.  The  Kents  of  Fluvanna  County,  Vir- 
ginia, are  a  high  type  of  people,  all  of  whom  have 
been  of  unblemished  character  and  a  number  of 
whom  liave  achieved  prominence  in  some  of  the 
professions,  notably  in  law  and  in  education. 

Alfred  A.  Kent  was  reared  on  the  family  planta- 
tion and  was  prepared  for  college  at  old  Finley 
High  School  at  Lenoir,  under  the  tutelage  of  that 
famous  educator,  Capt.  E.  W.  Fossett,  a  man  who 
became  so  successful  and  distinguished  as  an 
educator  of  boys  that,  although  it  was  in  a  small 
and  isolated  town,  his  school  attracted  sons  of 
some  of  the  best  families  not  only  all  over  the 
surrounding  territory,  but  from  all  over  the  state 
and  from  some  other  southern  and  western  states. 
He  was  a  character  builder  as  well  as  an  educator. 
Following  his  course  at  the  old  Finley  High  School, 
Alfred  A.  Kent  attended  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  where,  on  account  of  his  time  being 
limited,  he  worked  hard  and  crowded  into  two 
years  the  work  necessary  for  a  Bachelor  of  Arts 
degree.  He  studied  medicine  at  the  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1885,  and  began  his 
practice  that  year  at  Cranberry  Iron  Works  in 
Avery   County,   where   he  was   located   two   years. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


theu  establishing  liimself  in  jiraetiee  at  Lenoir, 
his  home  town,  where  he  has  been  engaged  ever 
since.  Although  iu  subsequent  years  Doctor  Kent 
branched  out  in  business  and  industrial  enter- 
prises, he  was  enabled  to  do  this  only  from  the 
fruits  of  his  labors  as  a  physician,  that  profes- 
sion being  his  life  work  and  the  foundation  of 
his  success,  and  he  has  never  ceased  from  his  active 
practice  thereof.  It  is  a  fine  tribute  to  his  ability 
as  a  physician  and  a  somewhat  remarkable  example 
of  what  one  may  accomplish  through  wise  and  per- 
sistent effort  that,  although  his  outside  business 
activities  and  the  services  he  has  rendered  the 
people  as  a  public  oflScial,  have  taken  up  a  great 
deal  of  his  time,  he  has  still  been  honored  by  his 
profession  by  having  bestowed  upon  him  every 
position  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  in  the 
North  Carolina  Medical  Society.  He  served  as 
president  of  the  state  organization  in  1912  and 
has  been  district  counselor  tor  his  district,  presi- 
dent of  the  state  board  of  counselors  of  the  society, 
served  six  years  on  the  state  board  of  medical 
examiners,  was  president  of  that  board  for  two 
years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  state  board  of 
health  for  two  years.  So  it  will  be  seen  that 
Doctor  Kent  is  essentially  and  primarily  a  phy- 
sician. 

Doctor  Kent  began  life  with  habits  of  thrift 
and  rigid  economy,  and,  beginning  with  small 
investments  in  real  estate,  he  made  it  his  settled 
policy  to  invest  only  in  jiroperty  that  had  a  future, 
and  in  commercial  or  industrial  enterprises  only 
that  were  of  a  sound  and  permanent  character, 
avoiding  always  speculative  schemes  and  enter- 
prises. He  was  practically  the  founder  of  the 
furniture  manufacturing  industry 'at  Lenoir,  for, 
although  a  small  plant  had  been  in  operation 
before  he  went  into  this  industry,  it  was  not  until 
he  had  established  the  Kent  Furniture  Company 
that  the  town  got  a  good  start  along  this  line  and 
encouragement  was  offered  other  concerns  to  locate 
at  Lenoir  and  to  make  it  a  furniture  manufactur- 
ing center.  Doctor  Kent's  spirit  of  progress  and 
enterprise  furnished  the  means  for  bringing  other 
furniture  and  woodworking  plants  to  Lenoir,  and 
the  industry  grew  and  expanded  until  now  this 
community  is  second  only  to  High  Point  as  the 
furniture  manufacturing  center  of  North  Carolina. 
This  industry,  in  fact,  has  been  the  making  of 
Lenoir,  changing  it  from  a  small  and  unimportant 
county  seat  town  to  a  live  and  growing  municipal- 
ity where  a  great  deal  of  money  is  paid  to 
mechanics  and  other  working  people,  and  to  a 
city  of  many  beautiful  and  expensive  homes  and 
substantial  Inisiness  blocks.  Doctor  Kent  subse- 
quently sold  the  plant  of  the  Kent  Furniture 
Company  and  organized  the  Kent-Coffey  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  which  he  is  still  a  mem- 
ber, and  which  is  an  extensive  manufacturing  ]plant 
for  a  general  line  of  furniture. 

Doctor  Kent  is  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Lenoir,  and  is  the  owner  of  Kent's  Drug 
Store,  he  being  a  registered  pharmacist  as  well 
as  physician.  He  has  built  three  of  the  best  brick 
store  buildings  in  Lenoir,  of  which  he  is  the  owner, 
and  also  erected  a  number  of  residence  structures, 
including  his  own  home,  "Kentwod,"  a  beautiful 
place  situated  on  a  commanding  elevation  near 
Davenport  College.  A  part  of  this  fine  estate  is 
a  farm  of  100  acres,  extending  toward  the  Lower 
Creek  Valley — a  property  of  very  great  value.  He 
also  has  substantial  and  profitable  investments  in 
Oklahoma,   particularly   at   Oklahoma  City,   Tulsa, 


and  in  valuable  coal  lauds  east  of  McAlester  along 
the  Rock  Island  Railroad. 

In  1910  Doctor  Kent  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  North  Carolina  Legislature,  serving  in  the 
session  of  1911,  and  was  reelected  iri  1914,  serving 
in  the  session  of  1915.  He  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  activities  of  the  lawmaking  body,  and  of 
especial  local  interest  was  his  having  enacted  a 
measure  which  permitted  the  organization  and 
financing  of  a  drainage  district  for  the  lands  in 
Lower  Creek  Valley  in  Caldwell  County,  lying  to 
the  east,  south  and  southwest  of  Lenoir.  This 
legislation  was  the  means  of  reclaiming  hundreds 
of  acres  of  rich  land  that  had  been  impracticable 
of  cultivation  and  transforming  it  into  splendid 
farms,  making  this  valley  now  one  of  the  richest 
sections  of  Caldwell  County. 

The  most  notable  of  Doctor  Kent 's  activities 
in  the  Legislature,  and  those  which  were  of  the 
most  state-wide  importance,  were  found  in  his 
leadershi))  in  having  established,  under  state  aus- 
pices, the  Caswell  Training  School  at  Kinston, 
an  institution  for  the  feeble-minded  and  one  that 
w-as  very  badly  needed — a  fact  that  had  been 
particularly  impressed  upon  Doctor  Kent  during 
his  nianj'  years  of  practice  as  a  physician.  It  is 
conceded  that  the  founding  of  this  most  beneficent 
institution  was  due  to  Doctor  Kent's  tireless  activ- 
ities in  its  Ijehalf,  tlie  tact  and  diplomacy  he  had 
to  use  in  overcoming  prejudice,  ignorance  and 
olijection,  and  the  sledge-hammer  efforts  and 
methods  he  had  to  put  forth  in  order  to  get  tlie 
necessary  financial  appropriation,  the  speeches 
he  made  both  before  the  house  and  the  committees 
and  all  the  varied  details  he  personally  attended 
to.  It  seems  quite  certain  that  had  it  not  been  for 
his  able  leadership  the  project  would  have  failed. 
And  after  the  institution  was  built  he  did  not  re- 
linquish his  effort  in  it,  but  continued  his  activi- 
ties in  its  behalf  until  he  was  satisfied  that  the 
institution  was  placed  under  eminently  proper  and 
competent    management    and   superintendence. 

Doctor  Kent  married  Miss  Annie  Wright, 
daughter  of  Squire  John  W.  Wright,  of  Coharie, 
Sampson  County,  and  to  this  union  there  have 
been  born  five  children,  namely:  J.  Archie,  Olivia, 
Alfred  A.,  Jr.,  William  Walter  and  Benjamin  H. 

John  Raines  Woltz,  M.  D.  For  upwards  of 
forty  years  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of 
Dobson,  Dr.  John  Raines  Woltz  during  Ms  years 
of  active  service  in  Surry  County  buUt  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice  and  established  for  him- 
self a  fine  reputation  for  professional  skill  and 
ability.  A  son  of  Dr.  Lewis  Fernando  Woltz,  he 
w.as  born  September  21,  1841,  in  Newbern,  Pu- 
laski  County,  Virginia,   of   German   ancestry. 

The  doctor 's  paternal  grandfather,  William 
Woltz,  a  native  of  Germany,  was  the  only  member 
of  his  father 's  family,  so  far  as  is  known,  to 
come  to  America.  Locating  first  in  Maryland,  he 
followed  his  trade  of  a  cabinet  maker  in  Hagers- 
town  for  awhile,  subsequently  continuing  his  work 
at  Newbern,  Pulaski  County,  Virginia.  During  the 
War  of  1812  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  and  was 
unfortunate  enough  while  in  the  army  to  be  de- 
prived of  his  hearing,  the  roar  of  the  cannon 
causing  permanent  deafness.  Late  in  life  he 
moved  to  Blue  Spring,  Tennessee,  and  there  died, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-one  years,  at  the 
home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Feagles.  He  reared 
three  children,  as  follows:  Samuel;  Lewis  Fer- 
nando; and  Mary  .Jane,  wife  of  John  L.  Feagles. 


t 


TiLDi-i>    1  C  w  -■ 


::-./r;ONS 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


105 


Dr.  Lewis  Feruaiulo  Woltz  was  born  aud  reared 
in  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  and  there  acquired  his 
elementary  and  academic  education.  He  subse- 
quently entered  the  New  York  Medical  College, 
in  New  York  City,  and  after  his  graduation  from 
that  institution  began  his  professional  career  at 
Floyd  Courthouse,  Virginia.  Moving  from  there 
to  Midway,  Greene  County,  Tennessee,  he  con- 
tinued in  practice  in  that  vicinity  until  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Civil  war  when  he  refugeed  back 
to  Carroll  County,  Virginia,  where  he  continued 
in  active  practice  until  his  death,  at  Hillsville, 
at  the  age  of  four  score  and  four  years. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lewis  F. 
Woltz  was  Mary  .Jane  Early.  She  was  born  in 
Pulaski  County,  Virginia,  a  daughter  of  Jerre 
Early,  who  came  from  Ireland,  his  native  country, 
to  America,  and  with  his  brothers  John,  William, 
Samuel  and  James,  and  his  sisters  Elizabeth  and 
Rhoda,  settled  in  Pulaski  County.  His  brother, 
William,  was  the  father  of  Jubal  A.  Early,  a 
general  in  the  Confederate  Army.  Jerre  Early  was 
a  farmer  and  a  cabinet  maker,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage, in  Giles  County,  Virginia,  to  Jane  Cecil, 
migrated  to  Pulaski  County,  Virginia,  following 
a  narrow  bridle  path  the  entire  distance.  The 
bride  rode  on  horseback  and  carried  a  feather 
bed  and  cooking  utensils,  while  the  groom  walked 
beside  her  armed  with  a  gun.  They  began  house- 
keeping in  a  log  cabin  with  a  puncheon  floor, 
and  as  it  was  located  on  a  road  leading  from 
north  to  the  south  there  were  many  passersby, 
and  although  the  happy  couple  entertained  many 
tri.velers  they  never  charged  a  cent,  nor  asked 
a  person  's  name  or  business.  It  is  said  that  Aaron 
Burr  was  once  a  guest  in  their  cabin  home,  and 
as  lioth  were  ardent  Methodists  in  religion  they 
were  glad  to  have  as  frequent  guests  both  Elder 
Cartwright  and  Lorenzo  Dow.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jerre  Early  lived  to  more  than  ninety  years 
of  age.  Their  daughter,  Nancy  Jane,  wife  of 
Dr.  L.  F.  Woltz,  died  when  but  forty-nine  years 
old,  leaving  eight  children,  namely:  WiUiam  J., 
John  R.,  Georgianna  Etta,  Charles  L.,  Claude  L., 
India  B.,  Sidney  J.,  and  Cora. 

Completing  the  course  of  study  in  the  public 
schools  of  Floyd  County,  Virginia,  aiid  at  Tuscu- 
lum  College,  in  Greene  County,  Tennessee,  John 
R.  Woltz  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  his 
father's  tutelage,  in  1857.  At  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  war  he  was  attending  lectures  at  the 
Nashville  Medical  College  in  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see. Giving  up  his  studies  in  May,  1861,  he  en- 
listed in  Company  I,  Twenty-ninth  Regiment,  Ten- 
nessee Volunteers,  and  took  an  active  part  with 
his  command  in  all  of  its  battles  up  to  and  in- 
cluding the  engagement  at  Shiloh,  where  he  was 
severely  wounded.  After  spending  three  months 
in  the  hospital,  he  joined  his  regiment,  and  un- 
der command  of  General  Bragg  went  to  Kentucky 
and  there  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Perrysville. 
Soon  after,  not  having  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  his  former  wounds,  Mr.  Woltz  was  discharged 
from  the  service  on  account  of  disability,  and  re- 
turned to  Virginia,  where  he  subsequently  became 
a  member  of  the  Dublin  Home  Guard,  and  issu- 
ing commissary  under  General  Jones.  Giving  up 
that  position  in  May,  186.3,  he  joined  the  Four- 
teenth Virginia  Regiment,  known  as  Lowey  's  Bat- 
tery, with  which  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
conflict. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Woltz  resumed  the  study  of 
medicine  at  the  Virginia  Medical  College,  in  Rich- 


mond, where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1868.  Beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  his  native  state.  Doctor  Woltz  spent  a  year  in 
Lambsburg,  afterward  being  located  at  Hillsrille 
until  1871.  Coming  from  there  to  Surry  County, 
the  doctor  settled  in  Dobson  where  he  continued 
in  active  practice  for  a  period  of  forty-five  years, 
winning  in  the  meantime  the  well  deserved  repu- 
tation of  being  one  of  the  most  skilful  and  faith- 
ful physicians  of  this  part  of  the  county.  His 
records  as  a  physician  are  interesting,  and  show 
an   attendance   at   1,684  births. 

On  December  27,  1870,  Doctor  Woltz  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Louisa  Kingsbury,  who  was 
born  in  Stokes  County,  North  Carolina,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  B.  and  Eliza  Kingsbury.  She  died 
April  28,  1892.  Five  children  have  been  born 
of  the  union  of  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Woltz,  namely: 
John  L.,  of  Mt.  Airy,  of  whom  a  sketch  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Albert  E. ;  Fannie  M. ; 
Mattie  Irene;  and  Claude  Benard.  Albert  E. 
Woltz,  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at 
Gastonia,  North  Carolina,  was  graduated  from 
the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  while  a 
student  in  the  institution  served  as  its  bursar.  He 
married  Daisy  Mackey,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  four  chUdren.  Fannie  M.,  wife  of  George  W. 
Key,  a  farmer  at  Stewarts  Creek,  Surry  County, 
has  five  children.  Mattie  Irene  married  William 
S.  Comer,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Dobson, 
and  they  have  nine  children.  Claude  was  gradu- 
ated with  honor  from  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the  Maxim  High 
School.  Doctor  Woltz  married  for  his  second 
wife  September  21,  1899,  Angle  J.  Isaacs,  a  native 
of  Surry.  There  are  no  children  by  this  marriage. 
Doctor  Woltz  was  for  thirty  years  health  officer 
for  Surry  County,  his  long  record  of  service  in 
that  position  being  proof  of  his  efficiency  in  that 
capacity.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the    Methodist    Episcopal    Church,    South. 

Jame.s  G.  Fltnt  is  president  and  founder  of 
the  J.  G.  Flynt  Tobacco  Company  at  Winston- 
Salem.  As  a  young  man  he  learned  the  tobacco 
business  in  all  its  details,  and  his  business  ini- 
tiative prompted  him  to  set  up  in  business  for  him- 
self. During  the  past  ten  years  Mr.  Flynt  has 
developed  one  of  the  more  successful  of  the  to- 
bacco factories  in  this  famous  Piedmont  tobacco 
growing  district,  and  is  one  of  the  citizens  to 
whom  Winston-Salem  looks  for  leadership  and  for 
part  of  its  prosperity. 

Mr.  Flynt  was  born  in  Batavia,  Solano  County 
California,  during  the  temporary  residence  of  his 
parents  in  that  state.  The  name  has  been  identi- 
fied with  Western  North  Carolina  since  pioneer 
times.  The  name  was  formerly  spelled  Flint.  In 
the  enumeration  of  heads  of  families  as  found  in 
the  records  of  the  United  States  census  of  1790 
those  of  the  name  mentioned  as  living  in  Stokes, 
which  then  included  Forsyth,  were  John,  Leonard. 
Richard,  Roderick  and  Thomas  Flynt.  One  of 
these  was  undoubtedly  the  ancestor  of  James  G. 
Flynt,    probably    the    great-grandfather. 

Mr.  Flvnt's  grandfather  was  Stephen  Flynt, 
and  was  probably  also  born  in  Stokes  County.  He 
bought  a  farm  in  Kernersville  Township  of  For- 
syth County,  but  about  1850  he  went  to  Mississippi 
and  never  "returned.  He  married  Nancy  Hilton, 
who  spent  her  last  days  in  Kernersville  Town- 
ship. She  reared  three  children:  Aulena,  John 
William  and   Laura. 


106 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


John  William  Flyut  was  born  in  Stokes  County, 
North  Carolina,  July  13,  1844.  He  grew  up  on  a 
farm,  and  when  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  in 
1864,  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  Army  and  fought 
for  the  Confederacy  until  the  close  of  the  struggle. 

After  the  war  he  resumed  farming  in  Kerners- 
ville  Township,  but  in  1872  removed  to  California, 
spending  about  a  year  at  Batavia,  where  James 
G.  Flynt  was  born.  The  family  then  returned  East 
and  the  father  bought  a  farm  in  Kernersville 
Township,  on  which  he  remained  engaged  in  the 
quiet  vocation  of  agriculture  until  his  death  at 
the  age  of  seventy.  He  married  Mary  Fulton. 
She  was  born  in  Stokes  County,  daughter  of  Joel 
and  Frances  (Abbott)  Fulton.  She  lived  to  be 
sixty-two  years  of  age  and  reared  six  children: 
James  G.,  Nannie,  MoUie,  now  deceased,  John  W., 
Eva   and   Maine. 

Mr.  James  G.  Flynt  grew  up  in  the  country  dis- 
tricts of  Forsj'th  County.  He  attended  rural 
schools  first  and  afterward  was  a  student  in  the 
Kernersville  High  School.  His  pursuits  and  inter- 
ests were  identified  with  farming  until  1898,  when 
he  removed  to  Winston  and  entered  the  service  of 
Mr.  B.  J.  E«ynolds  in  the  tobacco  factory.  While 
he  remained  with  that  factory  he  was  attentive 
not  only  to  his  duties  as  a  means  of  livelihood 
but  made  a  close  and  thorough  study  of  all  details 
of  tobacco  manufacture.  He  left  the  Reynolds 
plant  in  1906  to  organize  the  firm  of  J.  G.  Flynt 
&  Company.  He  began  the  manufacture  of  plug 
tobacco,  and  the  business  has  had  a  successful 
increase  from  the  start.  A  few  years  ago  the 
company  was  incorporated,  with  Mr.  Flynt  as  pres- 
ident and  general  manager.  In  1916  the  plant  was 
removed  from  Trade  Street  to  a  commodious  brick 
structure  on  Oak  Street. 

In  1901  Mr.  Flynt  married  Celesta  Hazlip. 
Mrs.  Flynt  was  bom  in  Forsyth  County,  daughter 
of  Hardin  and  Crissie  (Dalton)  Hazlip.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Flynt  have  six  children:  James,  Hal,  Eliza- 
beth, Clarence,  Eleanor  and  Celesta.  Mr.  Flynt 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Osborne  Brown.  One  of  the  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative men  of  Catawba  County,  foremost  in 
business  enterprises  and  trustworthy  in  public 
affairs,  is  Osborne  Brown,  who  is  secretary,  treas- 
urer and  active  manager  of  the  Long  Island  Cotton 
Mill  Company,  and  president  of  the  Osborne  Brown 
Mercantile  Company. 

Osborne  Brown  was  born  in  1870,  near  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania.  His  father,  the  late  James 
Brown,  was  a  merchant  in  New  Jersey  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  residing  just  across  from  Philadelphia 
in  New  Jersey.  In  1888,  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily, he  came  to  North  Carolina,  and  shortly  after- 
ward his  father,  James  Brown,  became  associated 
in  the  cotton  manufactiiring  business  with  George 
H.  Brown,  a  resident  of  Statesville,  Iredell  County, 
P.  P.  Key  and  J.  S.  Ramsey  and  organized  the 
Long  Island  Cotton  Mills,  one  of  the  old  historic 
mills  of  the  state  that  had  been  built  by  Powell 
&  Shuford.  in  the  early  '50s  and  had  been  op- 
erated by  them  for  a  number  of  years. 

When  "the  new  owners  of  the  Long  Island  mill 
■  took  charge,  they  found  a  plain,  weather-beaten 
wooden  building,  40  by  60  feet  in  dimensions,  situ- 
ated on  the  Catawba  River,  at  Long  Island._  With 
energy  and  enterprise  and  abundant  capital,  a 
great  change  came  about,  and  in  1890  the  Long 
Island  Cotton  Mills  replaced  the  old  mill  by  the 
present  mill  building,  a  substantial  two-story  brick 
structure,  60  by  120  feet  in  dimensions,  and  since 


that  time  additional  brick  buildings  and  ware- 
houses have  been  erected.  The  business  is  a  cor- 
poration, capitalized  at  $76,000,  and  is  carried 
on  under  the  name  of  the  Long  Island  Cotton 
Mills.  George  H.  Brown,  of  Statesville,  is  presi- 
dent, and  Osborne  Brown  of  Long  Island  is  secre- 
tary, treasurer  and  general  manager.  The  miU 
manufactures  skein  yarns  and  is  equipped  with 
6,072   spindles. 

Osborne  Brown  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Philadelphia,  and  when  old  enough  re- 
ceived a  business  training.  He  accompanied  the 
family  to  North  Carolina  with  the  idea  of  going 
into  business  here,  and  was  associated  with  his 
father  and  George  H.  Brown,  from  the  beginning 
of  their  enterprise.  His  father  died  in  1894  and 
but  for  a  short  time  prior  to  that  event,  Osborne 
Brown  has  been  on  duty  at  the  Long  Island  mill, 
and  much  of  the  success  of  the  business  may  be 
attributed  to  his  energy,  good  judgment  and  busi- 
ness capacity,  he  being  secretary  and  treasurer  and 
general  manager  of  the  mill  business.  Additionally 
Mr.  Brown  is  president  of  the  Osborne  Brown 
Company,  Incorporated,  large  dealers  in  general 
merchandise  of  merit. 

Mr..  Brown  has  shown  business  ability  also  in 
public  affairs.  In  1914  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  of  Catawba 
County,  and  through  re-election  is  serving  in  his 
second  term,  during  all  this  time  being  chairman 
of  the  board.  Since  the  great  floods  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1916  this  board  has  had  particularly  ardu- 
ous and  important  duties,  involving  the  expenditure 
of  large  sums  of  money  in  replacing  bridges  and 
repairing  roads.  In  association  with  adjoining 
counties,  the  board  has  contracted  for  the  building 
of  five  main  bridges  across  the  Catawba  River  and 
other  streams  entirely  within  the  county.  To  the 
consideration  of  these  matters,  Mr.  Brown  has 
given  close  and  careful  attention. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  A. 
Brown,  who  is  a  daughter  of  George  H.  Brovm, 
of  Statesville,  North  Carolina,  and  they  have  two 
daughters,  Helen  and  Olivia.  Mr.  Brown  and 
family  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  in 
this  religious  body  he  occupies  a  position  of  great 
honor  and  responsibility,  having  been  elected  mod- 
erator of  the  South  Fork  Baptist  Association,  com- 
prising fifty-three  churches.  Politically  he  is  a 
republican  and  his  influence  undoubtedly  assisted 
in  the  late  elections,  to  lead  Catawba  County  into 
the  republican  column. 

Alexander  R.  McEacheen.  Travelers  who 
have,  in  times  past,  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  so- 
journing for  any  length  of  time  in  the  Old  North 
State,  and  with  friendly  interest  have  lingered 
many  seasons  through  in  little,  quiet,  home-like 
villages  because  of  the  delightful  hospitality  often 
found  therein,  will  probably  ere  long  seek  such 
somnolent  tarrying  places  in  vain  in  Robeson 
County,  for  the  spirit  of  progress  has  swept 
through  here  and  the  door  to  modern  opportunity 
and  advantage  has  been  thrown  wide  open.  The 
kind,  hospitable,  generous  people  have  not  changed 
except  as  wider  opportunity  has  developed  them, 
but  they  have  grown  more  numerous,  more  am- 
bitious, more  contented  and  happier  and  more  use- 
ful. Not  every  place,  has  undergone,  within  the 
past  decade,  the  same  metamorphosis  that  has 
changed  the  little  Village  of  St.  Pauls  into  a  thriv- 
ing, "prosperous  little  industrial  city,  with  civic 
utilities  and  improvements,  with  modern  business 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


107 


blocks  and  handsome,  spacious  and  costly  resi- 
dences, but  all  have  not  been  fortunate  enough 
to  be  the  home  of  so  able  and  enterprising  a  man 
as  Alexander  R.  McEaohern,  to  whom  and  his  as- 
sociates in  business  much  of  this  development 
may  be  directly  attributed. 

Alexander  R.  McEachern  was  born  in  the  old 
family  homestead  which  has  belonged  to  the  Mc- 
Eacherns  for  one  hundred  and  tnenty-iive  years, 
in  St.  Pauls  Township,  Robeson  County,  North 
Carolina,  in  1860.  His  parents  were  Neill  and 
Ella  (Pow-ers)  McEachern,  both  now  deceased. 
One  of  the  oldest  Scotch  families  in  the  county 
and  in  this  part  of  the  Cape  Fear  section,  the 
McEacherns  came  from  Scotland  and  the  founder 
in  Robeson  County  was  Neill  McEachern,  the 
great-grandfather  of  Alexander  R.  McEachern  of 
St.  Pauls.  In  1793  he  located  on  a  tract  of  land 
in  St.  Pauls  Township,  about  two  and  one  lialf 
miles  west  of  the  present  City  of  St,  Pauls,  and 
there  his  descendants  have  lived  ever  since  and 
still  possess  the  ancestral  acres.  The  first  deed 
that  was  granted  to  said  Neill  McEachern,  bears 
date  of  1794,  conveying  to  him  title  to  200  acres 
of  land  in  consideration  of  ' '  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds."  The  present  head  of  the  family 
owns  this  interesting  document,  as  he  also  does 
another,  which  was  issued  at  Fayetteville,  North 
Carolina,  in  1798,  giving  American  citizenship  to 
his  great-grandfather.  Neill  McEachern  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  St.  Pauls  Presbyterian  Church, 
which  was  established  in  1798,  and  is  one  of  the 
oldest  and  of  most  historic  interest  of  any  of  the 
old  religious  edifices  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
and  his  descendants,  including  the  present  genera- 
tion, have  been  members  of  this  church. 

Neill  McEachern,  father  of  Alexander  R.,  was 
bom  in  the  old  homestead  in  St.  Pauls  Township, 
as  was  his  father,  Hugh  McEachern.  The  family 
vocation  was  farming.  When  the  war  between  the 
states  came  on  Neill  McEachern  with  two  of  his 
brothers  went  into  the  Confederate  army  and  died 
in  December,  1864,  while  in  the  army. 

Alexander  R.  McEachern  was  reared  on  the 
McEachern  plantation  and  after  attending  the 
local  schools  was  a  pupil  of  Professor  Quackenliush 
in  his  academy  at  Laurinlnirg  in  Scotland  f^ounty. 
From  youth  he  has  been  identified  with  farming 
interests  and  now  owns  the  old  homestead  besides 
a  number  of  other  very  fine  farms  in  this  exceed- 
ingly rich  and  productive  agricultural  region  and 
for  many  years  has  been  a  large  cotton  producer. 
For  several  years,  in  association  with  James  M. 
Butler,  he  was  engaged  in  a  large  mercantile  busi- 
ness at  St.  Pauls,  but  since  he  has  become  so 
extensively  interested  in  the  cotton  mill  industry 
he,  with  his  associates,  had  been  more  or  less 
retiring  from  merchandising. 

It  was  about  1907,  after  the  railroad  came,  the 
Virginia  &  Carolina  Soutliern  building  their  line 
from  Lumberton  through  to  Hope  Mills  in  Cum- 
berland County,  that  Mr.  McEachern,  as  one  of 
the  big,  successful  business  men  of  this  section, 
became  interested  with  others  and  the  first  cotton 
mill  was  built  at  St.  Pauls,  and  this  was  the 
foundation  of  the  town 's  development  and  con- 
tinues its  main  industry.  This  mill  is  conducted 
under  the  name  of  the  St.  Pauls  Cotton  Mill 
Company,  of  which  Mr.  McEachern  is  secretary 
and  treasurer,  J.  M.  Butler  being  president.  The 
company  has  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000,  and  the 
mUl,  which  is  a  modern,  complete  and  expertly 
managed   plant,   manufactures   hosiery,  yarns,   and 


the  company  owns  a  second  plant  at  St.  Pauls 
which  nianutactures  yarns  and  knits  the  jiroduet 
into  tubing  for  gloves.  Mr.  McEachern  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Ernaldson  Manufacturing  Company 
and  is  president  of  the  Cape  Fear  Cotton  Mill  at 
Fayetteville,  of  which  Mr.  Butler  is  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Th.at  mill  manufactures  carpet  yarns. 
In  addition  to  the  latter  )ilant,  Mr.  McEachern, 
Mr.  Butler  and  E.  H.  Williamson  have  equijiped 
and  now  have  in  operation  the  new  Advance  Mill, 
at  Fayetteville,  which  is  a  siiecialty  mill  and  is 
manufacturing  olive  drab  cloth  for  the  Govern- 
ment. Mr.  McEachern  as  a  capitalist  is  addition- 
ally interesteil  in  successful  and  industrial  enter- 
prises, is  vice  president  of  the  Bank  of  St.  Pauls, 
a  director  of  the  National  Bank  of  Fayetteville; 
vice  {(resident  of  the  Holt-Williamson  Manufactur- 
ing Coni]iany  of  Fayetteville,  North  Carolina,  and 
is  foremost  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  sub- 
stantial growth  of  the  jilace.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  has  been  prominent  in  public  affairs  in 
Robeson  County  and  served  ten  years  on  the 
board  of  county  commissioners,  and  it  was  during 
this  time  that  the  board  built  the  beautiful  and 
creditable  new  courthouse  at  Lumberton.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Flora  Macdon- 
ald   College   at  Red   Springs. 

Mr.  McEachern  was  married  to  Miss  Belle  Shaw, 
a  member  also  of  an  old  Scotch  family  of  this 
section.  Her  parents  were  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(McLean)  Shaw,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in 
St.  Pauls  Townsship  in  1811  and  died  in  1891.  Mrs. 
McEachern  is  a  sister  of  the  late  Lauchlin  Shaw, 
who  died  in  1915.  Mr.  Shaw  was  the  owner  of 
much  property  here,  a  large  ])art  of  that  on  which 
the  modern  town  nas  been  built  and  took  an  active 
part  in  financially  backing  the  early  business  and 
industrial  enterprises.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McEachern 
have  three  sons,  two  of  whom  are  wearing  the 
uniform  of  the  National  Army,  loyal  and  patriotic 
young  men  of  high  business  and  social  standing. 
The  eldest,  D.  S.  McEachern,  is  in  the  United 
States  Navy.  The  second,  Neill,  is  in  the  Coast 
Artillery.  Duncan  remains  with  his  parents.  Mr. 
McEachern  is  an  elder  in  the  St.  Pauls  Presby- 
terian  Church. 

J.  Neal  D-4VI.S  is  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Winston-Salem.  He  began  his  business  career 
there  as  a  clerk  and  profiting  by  experience  and 
the  opportunities  of  the  locality,  he  established  a 
business  of  his  own  and  is  now  one  of  the  substan- 
tial men  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  He 
was  born  on  a  plantation  near  Forbush  Baptist 
Church  in  Yadkin  County.  His  grandfather, 
Tom  Davis,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  on  com- 
ing to  North  Carolina  settled  in  what  is  now  Yad- 
kin County,  buying  a  tract  of  land  two  miles 
southeast  of  East  Bend.  He  became  a  farmer, 
and  lived  in  that  locality  until  his  death.  He  and 
two  of  his  sons  were  Confederate  soldiers  and  in 
the  course  of  his  service  he  received  a  severe 
wound.  Grandfather  Davis  married  Miss  Speas, 
and  they  reared  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  The 
sons  were  named  Alvis,  Levi,  both  of  whom  were 
Confederate  soldiers,  Eli  Tom,  Dalt,  John  and  San- 
ford.  All  the  twelve  children  married  and  reared 
families,  and  their  children  at  one  time  made  a 
total  number  of  seventy-three. 

Eli  Tom  Davis,  father  of  J.  Neal  Davis,  was 
bom  in  1846,  on  a  plantation  two  miles  south 
of  East  Bend.     He  grew  up  on  a  farm  and  after 


108 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


his  marriage  bought  laud  uear  the  old  home  and 
became  a  very  successful  planter.  He  married 
Xaiinie  Marion,  who  was  born  near  the  foot  of 
Pilot  Mountain  in  Surry  County,  North  Carolina, 
in  1848.  Her  grandfather  Marion  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Surry  County.  Her  father, 
Kichard  T.  Marion,  was  born  on  a  plantation  bor- 
dering tlie  Ararat  River  in  Surry  County  and  be- 
sides earrv'iug  on  a  large  farm  he  operated  a 
blacksmith  shop  and  a  wood  working  shop,  and 
owned  a  number  of  slaves.  All  the  wagons  used 
by  him  were  manufactured  in  his  own  wagon  shop. 
As  a  general  farmer  he  raised  stock,  grain  and 
tobacco.  His  tobacco  was  all  manufactured  on 
his  own  place  and  was  sent  to  southern  markets  in 
his  own  wagons  and  teams.  Eichard  T.  Marion 
lived  to  be  ninety-two  years  of  age  and  died  Octo- 
ber 31,  1916,  being  mentally  vigorous  to  the 
very  last.     He  married  Peggy  Hauser. 

Eli  Tom  Davis  and  wife  reared  eight  children 
named:  Lillian,  Richard,  J.  Xeal,  Hattie,  Egbert 
L.,  Maud,  Paul  and  Eula. 

Mr.  J.  Neal  Davis  speut  his  early  life  on  his 
father's  farm,  attended  rural  school  in  Yadkin 
County,  and  prepared  for  college  in  the  Boone- 
ville  High  School.  He  finished  his  education  in 
Wake  Forest  College  and  on  leaving  school  he 
came  to  Winston-Salem  and  for  a  few  months 
clerked  in  a  local  store.  He  then  bought  a  ladies 
furnishing  store  and  has  made  it  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  stocked  establishments  of  its  kind 
in  Western  North  Carolina.  In  1916  his  business 
was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  J.  N.  Davis 
Company,  with  himself  as  president  and  treasurer. 
Mr.  Davis  now  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the  fine 
suburban  homes  around  Winston-Salem.  In  1916 
he  bought  a  tract  of  farm  land  near  Reynolds, 
and  has  since  improved  it  as  a  model  country 
place.  His  house  is  buUt  in  modern  style  with 
all  the  latest  improvements,  and  he  has  a  private 
electric  plant  and  water  system. 

Mr.  Davis  married  Miss  Elva  Martha  Wall. 
She  was  born  in  Davidson  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, daughter  of  George  W.  "and  Haseltine 
(Charles)  Wall.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  have  four 
children,  Elva  Martha,  Catherine,  Margaret  Lucile 
and  Rosa  Logue.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Brown    Memorial    Church   at   Winston-Salem. 

Bartholomew  Moore  Catling.  One  of  the 
foremost  representatives  of  the  legal  profession  at 
Baleigh  is  Bartholomew  Moore  Catling,  who  re- 
cently took  additional  duties  and  responsibilities 
when  he  accepted  the  appointment  from  President 
Wilson  as  postmaster.  He  is  a  member  of  an 
old  North  Carolina  family,  and  his  father  before 
him  was  a  successful  attorney. 

Born  at  Raleigh  April  12,  1871.  Bartholomew 
Moore  Catling  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Moore) 
Gatling.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Gates  County 
and  his  mother  of  Halifax  County  in  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Prepared  for  college  at  Baleigh  Academy,  Mr. 
Gatling  then  entered  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina, where  he  was  graduated  A.  B.  in  1892.  For 
his  professional  preparation  he  entered  the  Har- 
vard Law  School,  where  he  took  his  LL.  B.  degree 
in  189.5.  Since  that  year  he  has  been  in  active 
practice  in  Raleigh,  and  has  accumulated  a  splen- 
did clientage,  representing  many  individuals  and 
business  firms.  For  ten  years  he  was  counsel  for 
the  Board  of  County  Commissioners.    His  appoint- 


ment as  postmaster  of  Raleigh  was  dated  February 
13,  191.5. 

Mr.  Gatling  is  a  member  of  the  Capital  Club  of 
Raleigh.  On  September  14,  1893,  he  married  Miss 
Lenora  Cradup  of  Meridian,  Mississippi.  They 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Sallie  Moore, 
Lawrence  Van  Valkenburg,  John,  Bart.  Moore, 
William  Crudup,  Louise  Crudup  and  James  Moore. 

Capt.  Edmtxd  Jones.  There  are  some  names 
indissolubly  connected  with  tlie  early  settlement 
and  permanent  development  of  the  L'^pper  Tadkin 
Valley  in  Western  North  Carolina,  that  mention 
of  them  immediately  brings  to  mind  historic  events 
that  contributed  to  the  establishment  of  stable 
government  here,  and  to  noble  individual  achieve- 
ments that  alone  would  serve  to  perpetuate  their 
memories.  Most  conspicuous  among  these  are  the 
names  of  Gen.  William  Lenoir,  Gen.  Edmund  Jones, 
Gen.  Samuel  F.  Patterson,  and  Col.  William  Daven- 
port, all  of  whom  became  kindred  tlirough  inter- 
marriages, and  to  all  of  them  Capt.  Edmund  Jones, 
a  leading  member  of  the  bar  at  Lenoir,  traces  a 
clear  ancestral  line. 

Capt.  Edmund  .Tones  was  born  in  1848,  on  his 
father's  plantation.  Clover  Hill,  situated  about  six 
miles  north  of  Lenoir,  in  Caldwell  County,  North 
Carolina.  His  parents  were  Edmund  Walter  and 
Sophia  C.  (Davenport)  .Jones,  and  his  grandpar- 
ents were  Gen.  Edmund  Jones  and  Col.  William 
Davenport. 

Gen.  Edmund  Jones  was  born  in  Orange  County, 
Virginia,  and  came  in  childliood  to  North  Carolina, 
with  his  parents,  George  and  Lucy  (Foster)  Jones. 
The  family  first  lived  in  the  Yadkin  Valley,  near 
Wilkesboro.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  the  public  and  political  life  of  North 
Carolina,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
served  several  terms  as  a  member  of  both  houses 
of  the  General  Assembly.  Upon  the  formation  of 
Caldwell  County  he  was  one  of  the  magistrates 
appointed  for  that  purpose  and  served  as  chairman 
of  their  court.  In  early  manhood  he  was  married 
to  Anna  Lenoir,  a  daughter  of  Gen.  William  Len.oir, 
who  came  from  Brunswick  County,  Virginia,  to 
North  Carolina,  in  1759,  served  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war  and  was  twice  wounded  at  the  Battle  of 
King's  Mountain.  He  had  previously  served  with 
distinction  against  the  Cherokee  Indians.  Old 
Fort  Defiance,  built  to  resist  Indian  attacks,  after- 
ward became  the  site  for  his  permanent  home  and 
on  that  estate  he  passed  the  closing  years  of  a 
memorable  life. 

Following  their  marriage,  Gen.  Edmund  Jones 
and  his  wife  settled  in  what  was  named  Happy 
Valley,  on  the  Yadkin  River  in  what  is  now  the 
northern  part  of  Caldwell  but  was  then  a  part 
of  Wilkes  County.  There  he  built  "Palmyra," 
which  became  one  of  the  famous  plantations  of 
North  Carolina,  possessing  much  historic  and  ro- 
mantic interest,  and  there  he  lived  until  1844. 
Continuing  the  history  of  this  famous  estate  it 
may  be  further  related  that  it  descended  to  his  son, 
Edmund  Walter  Jones,  who.  in  the  '40s,  because 
of  his  great  affection  for  his  sister,  who  was  the 
wife  of  Gen.  Samuel  Finley  Patterson,  transferred 
the  place  to  her.  X'pon  the  death  of  his  son.  Hon. 
Samuel  L.  Patterson,  Palmyra  was  left  by  his  will 
to  the  Episcopal  Church  for  an  industrial  school 
for  hoys.  It  was  converted  into  what  is  known 
as  the  Patterson  School,  an  industrial  institution 
for  boys,  and  is  now  carried  on  as  such  under  the 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


109 


auspices  of  the  church.  Gen.  Samuel  Fiuley  Pat- 
terson liTed  and  died  in  Caldwell  County.  He  was 
noted  as  a  financier  and  iu  1836  was  elected  treas- 
urer of  North  Carolina,  and  was  also  president  of 
the  old  Ealeigh  &  Gaston  Railroad.  His  two  sons, 
Eufus  L.  and  Samuel  Legerwood  Patterson  both 
became  prominent  iu  public  life,  the  latter  being 
commissioner  of  agriculture  for  North  Carolina 
for  a  number  of  years. 

Edmund  Walter  Jones  was  born  at  Palmyra  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Happy  Valley.  In  the  '40s 
he  built  Clover  Hill  for  his  own  residence,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  when  he  transferred 
Palmyra  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Patterson.  During  his 
entire  active  life  he  was  an  extensive  planter.  His 
death  occurred  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years.  He  married  Miss  Sophia  C.  Davenport,  and 
of  their  three  sons,  all  became  conspicuous  military 
men,  but  one  of  these  heroes  surviving,  Capt.  Ed- 
mund Jones,  of  Lenoir,  Walter  L.  being  killed  at 
Gettysburg,  and  John  T.  falling  in  the  Battle  of 
the  Wilderness. 

The  mother  of  Captain  Jones  was  a  daughter  of 
Col.  William  Davenport  and  a  granddaughter  of 
Gen.  William  Lenoir.  Col.  William  Davenport  was 
a  son  of  Martin  Davenport,  who  was  the  right-hand 
man  of  Gen.  Ben  Cleveland  in  the  campaigns  of 
the  patriots  in  the  Revolution  in  North  Carolina. 
The  Davenports  had  settled  iu  the  region  of  the 
Yadkin  River  before  the  Revolution,  and  like  the 
Jones  they  were  of  Welsh  ancestry.  They  were 
all  royalists  and  against  the  Cromwell  movement, 
and  when  they  came  to  the  American  colonies,  iu 
1688,  they  first  settled  in  Culpeper  County,  Vir- 
ginia. 

Born  into  a  home  of  luxury  and  refinement,  Ed- 
mund Jones '  early  environment  afforded  him  many 
advantages,  these  including  the  best  of  scholastic 
training.  The  outbreak  of  the  war  between  the 
states,  however,  changed  the  student  into  a  soldier 
one  of  the  youngest  in  the  Confederate  army.  He 
left  the  university  and  enlisted  iu  Company  F, 
Forty-first  North  Carolina  Infantry,  before  he  was 
sixteen  and  was  at  Appomattox,  after  taking  part 
in  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  before  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  was  educated  at  the  Bingham 
Military  School,  the  University  of  North  Carolina 
and  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  after  the  war 
spent  some  time  in  the  State  University  but  did 
not  complete  his  interrupted  course  because  of 
different  conditions  incident  to  the  times,  having 
arisen.  It  was  then  he  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he 
qualified  for  the  profession  of  law  under  those 
great  teachers,  Southgate  and  John  B.  Minor. 

Captain  Jones  then  returned  to  his  home.  Clover 
Hill,  and  there  carried  on  the  plantation  until  1881, 
in  which  year  he  took  the  necessary  examination 
and  was  licensed  to  practice  law  and  opened  an 
ofi&ce  at  Lenoir.  He  came  rapidly  to  the  front  in 
his  profession  and  has  long  been  reputed  as  one 
of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  Western  North  Carolina. 
He  early  entered  the  political  field  and  in  1870, 
when  but  twenty-two  years  old,  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature  and  served  four  terms, 
eight  years,  in  that  august  body,  with  remarkable 
statesmanship.  He  was  a  member  of  the  session 
that  impeached  Governor  Holden.  When  the  Span- 
ish-American war  was  precipitated,  once  more  Cap- 
tain Jones  became  a  military  man,  becoming  cap- 
tain of  Company  C,  Second  North  Carolina  In- 
fantry,  demonstrating  the  same  qualities   of  per- 


sonal bravery  that  had  marked  him  in  adventur- 
ous youth. 

Captain  Jones  has  been  twice  married.  His  first 
wife  was  Miss  Eugenia  Lewis,  who,  at  death,  left 
four  children:  Augustus,  Edmund,  Eugene  Patter- 
son and  Sarah  D.  Miss  Sarah  D.  Jones  is  a  lady 
of  many  accomplishments  and  of  great  business 
capacity,  and  at  piresent  is  private  secretary  to 
the  commissioner  and  auditor  of  the  department  of 
agriculture,  at  Ealeigh.  Captain  Jones  married 
for  his  second  wife  Miss  Martha  Snell  Scott,  who 
was  born  in  Caldwell  County.  The  whole  Jones 
connection  far  back  has  belonged  to  the  Episco- 
pal Church. 

Edgar  Franklin  McCulloch.  Jr.  Elizabeth- 
town,  the  county  seat  of  Bladen  County,  is  situated 
in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sections  of  North 
Carolina,  and  its  eitizensnip  is  made  up  of  repre- 
sentative.s  of  numerous  old  Southern  families  that 
liave  helped  to  make  history  in  the  Old  North 
State.  Many  of  these  are  of  Scotch  extraction, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  McCuUochs,  who  have 
lielonged  to  North  Carolina  for  generations.  To 
find  the  pioneer  of  his  family  in  the  state  Edgar 
Franklin  McCulloch,  Jr.,  postmaster  at  Elizabeth- 
town  and  county  attorney,  must  go  back  to  his 
great-grandfather,  John  McCulloch,  wlio  was  born 
iu  Scotland  and  came  in  early  manhood  to  Mary- 
land and  from  there  to  Guilford  County,  North 
Carolina,  where  he  became  a  man  of  local  im- 
portance. 

Edgar  Franklin  McCulloch,  Jr.,  was  born  in 
1888,  at  Wliite  Oak  in  Bladen  County,  North 
Carolina.  His  parents  are  Edgar  F.  and  Viola 
(Sykes)  McCulloch,  the  former  of  whom  was  born 
in  the  Pleasant  Garden  community,  Guilford 
County,  and  is  a  son  of  Calvin  McCulloch.  In 
1880  the  family  moved  from  Guilford  to  Bladen 
County.  E.  F.  McCulloch  passes  much  of  his  time 
at  Raleigh,  as  he  fills  the  office  of  clerk  of  the 
State  Prison  Board. 

Mr.  McCulloch 's  earlier  years  were  spent  at 
White  Oak  and  he  attended  White  Oak  Academy 
rrior  to  entering  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  cla'ss 
of  1911,  with  his  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree,  and  in 
19i:i,  after  two  years  in  the  law  school  of  the 
university,  entered  into  practice  at  Elizabethtown. 
Because  of  thorough  education  and  unusual  legal 
talent  he  has  made  rapid  strides  in  his  profession 
and  has  successfully  handled  a  number  of  very 
imiiortant  cases,  giving  to  his  clients  honorable 
and  faithful  service.  The  confidence  and  high 
regard  in  which  he  is  held  may  be  indicated  by 
his  election  to  the  important  office  of  county 
attorney  of  Bladen  County. 

Mr.  McCidloch  was  married  to  Miss  Jessie  Lee 
Sugg,  who  was  born  at  Greenville,  Pitt  County, 
North  Carolina,  and  they  have  one  son,  who  per- 
petuates the  family  name  as  Edgar  Franklin 
McCulloch,  Third.  Mrs.  McCulloch  is  a  lady  of 
many  accomplishments  and  thorough  education, 
and  prior  to  her  marriage  was  principal  of  the 
Elizabethtown  Academy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCullocli 
are  leaders  in  the  pleasant  social  life  of  the  town 
and  maintain  one  of  its  most  hospitable  homes. 

In  April,  1917,  Mr.  McCulloch  was  appointed 
postmaster  at  Elizabethtown  by  President  Wood- 
row  Wilson,  an  appointment  that  gave  general 
satisfaction  because  of  Mr.  McOulloch  's  high 
personal   character  and  general  popularity.     Edu- 


110 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


cation,  religion  and  charity  all  have  their  claims 
acknowledged  by  Mr.  McCuUoch  in  his  scheme  of 
life,  and  he  has  given  hearty  encouragement  to 
many  worthy  business  enterprises  here  tliat  jirom- 
ise  to  be  of  substantial  benefit  to  the  entire  com- 
munity, thereby  showing  a  liberal  mind  and  a 
public'  conscience  that  are  the  essentials  of  good 
citizenship. 

John  Allen  Adaus.  Surry  County  has  no  more 
popular  and  esteemed  citizen  than  John  A.  Adams, 
familiarly  known  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  that  county  as  "Jack"  Adams.  Mr. 
Adams  is  a  former  sheriff  of  the  county,  a  veteran 
of  the  war  between  the  states,  and  has  long  been 
identified  with  agriculture  and  other  diversified 
industries. 

Though  a  resident  of  Surry  County  most  of  his 
life  he  was  born  in  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia, 
January  19,  1847.  His  grandfather,  James  Adams, 
was  a  "native  of  the  same  county  and  owned  a 
large  plantation  on  Bannister  River.  He  belonged 
to  the  aristocratic  and  slave  holding  element  of 
Virginia,  and  lived  in  comfort  and  plenty  and 
dispensed  a  generous  hospitality.  His  wife  was 
Paulina  ■Wammoek,  also  a  lifelong  resident  of 
Pittsylvania  County. 

John  A.  Adams,  father  of  John  A.,  was  born  in 
Pittsylvania  County  in  1807,  and  in  1856  removed 
to  Surry  County,"  North  Carolina,  and  bought 
10,000  acres  of  "land  in  and  adjacent  to  Dobson. 
This  princely  estate  he  worked  with  the  aid  of 
numerous  slaves.  He  was  a  man  of  great  power 
and  influence  in  that  community  but  the  war  with 
its  attendant  evils  brought  financial  ruin.  He 
died  in  Dobson  leaving  his  widow  with  seven  chil- 
dren, most  of  them  still  young.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Sarah  Adams,  and  she  was  also  born  in  Pitt- 
sylvania County,  a  daughter  of  Johnson  and  Sarah 
(Williams)  Adams.  After  her  husband's  death 
she  returned  with  her  children  to  Pittsylvania 
County  and  she  spent  her  last  years  there. 

John  A.  Adams  was  about  nine  years  of  age 
when  the  family  removed  to  Surry  County.  He 
made  the  best  of  limited  opportunities  to  gain 
an  education,  and  when  quite  young  he  became 
self  supporting  by  his  labor.  When  he  was  seven- 
teen years  of  age  in  1864  he  enlisted  in  Company 
A,  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  Virginia  Cavalry  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Witeher.  With  this  regiment 
he  went  to  the  front  and  served  faithfully  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  When  Lee  surrendered  he 
was  at  Christianburg,  A'irginia,  and  being  allowed 
to  retain  his  horse  he  rode  home.  Before  entering 
the  army  he  had  been  employed  as  a  teamster. 
He  hauled  produce  to  Fayetteville,  and  on  the  re- 
turn trip  brought  merchandise.  Later  this  haul 
was  shortened  when  the  railroad  was  completed 
to  High  Point. 

After  the  war  he  took  uj)  the  business  of  sell- 
ing tobacco  and  started  with  a  load  of  tobacco  on 
wagon  and  team  into  South  Carolina  and  Georgia 
and  peddled  it  out  as  he  went.  This  was  his  regu- 
lar occupation  for  twelve  years  and  brought  a 
modest  capital  which  he  invested  in  the  300  acre 
farm  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  This  farm  is 
partly  in  and  jiartly  adjoining  the  City  of  Dobson. 
Here  for  many  years  he  has  followed  general  farm- 
ing, and  has  "made  himself  an  influential  factor  in 
the  agricultural  district  surrounding  him.  Mr. 
Adams  organized  the  Farmers  Alliance  in  Surry 
Countv.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat  and  was 
elected  on  that  ticket  to  the  oface  of  sherifE. 


He  married  Eliza  Ellen  McGuifiji,  September  12, 
186.3.  She  was  born  February  22,  1847,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  F.  and  Sarah  (Ingram)  McGufiin 
of  Franklin  County,  Virginia.  Mrs.  Adams  died 
May  14,  1917,  leaving  one  daughter  Mary  Emma, 
who  now  presides  over  her  father's  home.  Mr. 
Adams  is  affiliated  with  Dobson  Lodge  of  Masons 
and  with  Dobson  Lodge  of  the  Independent  Order 
of   Odd   Fellows. 

John  Thames.  M.  D.  Many  of  the  men  in  the 
medical  profession  today  are  devoting  themselves 
in  a  large  measure  to  the  prevention  of  disease  as 
well  as  its  cure.  They  are  exerting  all  the  force 
of  their  authority  in  persuading  people  to  use  bet- 
ter methods  and  spending  their  time  and  money 
in  the  endeavor  to  find  more  satisfactory  methods 
of  handling  disease,  and  to  make  the  general  pub- 
lic realize  that  in  their  own  hands  lies  the 
prevention  of  a  great  deal  of  disease  and  ill 
health.  In  the  public  health  movement  the  physi- 
cian has  always  been  a  leader,  and  among  the 
Southern  states  not  one  has  done  more  advanced 
and  efiicient  work  in  this  line  than  North  Caro- 
lina. 

One  of  the  ablest  men  now  in  the  public  health 
service  of  the  state  is  Dr.  John  'Thames,  city 
health  officer  of  Winston-Salem.  Dr.  Thames  was 
born  on  a  plantation  on  the  Cape  Fear  River  near 
Fayetteville  in  Cumberland  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, August  26,  1871.  In  the  paternal  line  he  is 
of  Welsh  ancestry.  His  father,  James  Thames, 
was  born  on  the  same  plantation  in  1828.  The 
grandfather,  Rev.  David  Thames,  was  a  native  of 
Wales.  David 's  brother  Joseph  came  to  America 
and  settled  in  Bladen  County,  North  Carolina. 
Rev.  David  Thames  on  coming  to  this  country  when 
a  young  man  located  in  Cumberland  County,  se- 
curing a  tract  of  land  on  the  Cape  Fear  River. 
Along  with  farming  and  the  management  of  his 
plantation  he  served  for  many  years  as  a  minister 
of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church.  He  and  his 
wife  and  three  children  died  during  a  fever  epi- 
demic in  1835-36. 

James  Thames  had  one  sister,  one  brother,  and 
several  half-sisters  and  brothers.  At  the  death 
of  his  parents  he  removed  to  Bladen  County  to 
live  with  a  half-sister,  Mrs.  Lucy  Davis,  grew  up 
there,  and  remained  in  his  sister's  household  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war  in  1845.  He  en- 
listed in  the  volunteer  army  and  took  an  active 
part  in  that  struggle  with  the  Southern  Republic. 
Following  the  war  he  returned  to  North  Carolina 
and  bought  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  old  homestead  plantation  in  Cumberland 
County.  There  he  set  up  as  a  general  farmer  and 
enjoyed  much  prosperity.  He  lived  on  the  old 
plantation  until  his  death  in  1908.  During  the 
war  between  the  states  he  was  captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  Home  Guards  under  Col.  Thomas  De- 
Vaughan.  For  a  number  of  years  before  his 
death  he  received  a  pension  from  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment for  his  services  in  the  Mexican  war.  This 
old  soldier  married  Mary  Elizabeth  Plummer.  She 
was  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  the  only 
daughter  of  James  and  Mrs.  (Bramble)  Plummer 
and  was  of  Scotch  ancestry.  She  died  in  Novem- 
ber, 1905.  There  were  five  sons  and  six  daugh- 
ters. 

One  of  his  large  family  of  children.  Dr.  John 
Thames,  spent  his  youth  and  boyhood  on  the  plan- 
tation in  Cumberland  County.  What  the  district 
schools  gave  him  in  the  way  of  an  education  he 


^^^H'^xyi^^^ — j-'Z— ^-^ 


\ 


Tll-t- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


111 


supplemented  by  preparatory  work  in  a  nearby 
high  school,  and  then  entered  the  University  of 
North  Carolina.  On  definitely  deciding  upon  a 
career  in  medicine,  he  entered  the  Louisville  Medi- 
cal College  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  he  was 
graduated  M.  D.  in  1894.  Dr.  Thames  has  had  a 
wide  and  diversified  experience  in  active  practice 
for  more  than  twenty  years.  He  has  also  taken 
post-graduate  courses  in  the  Polyclinic  at  Philadel- 
phia and  ill  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  at  Bal- 
timore. 

He  began  practice  at  Lexington,  in  Davidson 
County,  North  Carolina,  and  while  there  began  his 
public  health  work,  serving  as  health  officer  for 
the  county.  In  1899  he  removed  to  Greensboro, 
had  a  general  practice  for  several  years,  and  in 
1910  went  to  Wilmington  to  become  assistant  to 
Doctor  Nesbitt,  health  officer  of  that  city.  While 
at  Wilmington  he  became  a  recognized  force  among 
the  health  officers  of  the  state,  and  it  was  his  repu- 
tation for  efficient  work  in  this  branch  of  the 
profession  that  called  him  to  Winston-Salem,  where 
since  October  1,  1916,  he  has  been  city  health 
officer.  His  work  has  already  gained  him  many 
compliments  and  a  high  recognition,  and  it  was 
made  the  subject  of  a  special  reference  by  Bishop 
Rendthaler  in  the  Home  Church  Memorabilia  for 
1916. 

Doctor  Thames  was  married  in  1894,  the  year 
he  graduated  in  medicine,  to  Martha  Geneva  Cecil. 
Mrs.  Thames  was  born  near  Thomasville,  in  Da- 
vidson County,  North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Jesse 
W.  and  Elizabeth  (Moffitt)  Cecil.  The  Moffitts 
were  English  Quakers.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Thames 
have  four  children:  John  Allan,  Elizabeth  MofEitt, 
Francis  Cecil  and  Mary  Louise.  Both  Doctor  and 
Mrs.  Thames  are  mem'bers  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  He  has  long  been  actively  identified  with 
Masonry.  He  became  a  Mason  in  Hiram  Lodge 
No.  466,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  in 
1894,  and  has  thrice  transferred  his  membership, 
at  present  being  past  master  of  Wilmington  Lodge 
No.  319.  Doctor  Thames  has  thrice  held  the  of- 
fice of  worshipful  master  in  as  many  different 
lodges.  He  is  also  past  high  priest  of  Chapter  No. 
1,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  at  Wilmington,  and  pre- 
sided at  the  centennial  of  its  organization.  He 
is  affiliated  with  Munson  Council  No.  4,  Royal  and 
Select  Masons,  at  Wilmington,  and  Plantagenet 
Commandery,  No.  J,  Knights  Temjilar,  at  Wil- 
mington, and  Oasis  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
Doctor  Thames  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Junior  Order  of  United  Amer- 
ican Mechanics. 

When  the  United  States  declared  war  against 
Germany  Doctor  Thames  felt  the  call  to  assist  in 
winning"  the  world  for  democracy.  He  gave  up 
the  health  work,  applied  and  was  accepted  m  the 
Medical  Reserve  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army 
May  1.5,  1917.  Since  that  time  he  has  advanced 
rapidly  in  rank,  and  has  filled  some  of  the  most 
important  positions,  where  the  knowledge  of  pre- 
vention of  disease  was  required.  It  is  hoped  that 
he  will  survive  the  great  world  war  and  return  to 
his  native  state,  better  prepared  to  pursue  his. 
work  of  helping  to  make  North  Carolina  a  safe 
place  to  live,  free  from  contagious  disease. 

M.4.TT  Ransom  Long.  The  list  of  prominent  and 
successful  young  business  men  of  Roxboro  wouhl 
he  incomplete  were  not  mention  made  of  Matt  Ran- 
som Long,  whose  entire  career  has  been  passed  in 
this  thriving  and  enterprising  community  ami  who 
has  risen  to   a  place   of   importance   through   the 


exercise  of  natural  abilities.  Belonging  to  a  fam- 
ily which  has  long  contributed  through  its  members 
to  the  growth  and  develoijmcnt  of  business  and 
civic  interests,  he  has  shown  himself  a  worthy  rep- 
resentative of  the  name  he  bears  and  in  connection 
with  several  important  enterprises  is  contributing 
his  share  to  the  general  welfare. 

Mr.  Long  was  born  at  Roxboro,  Person  County, 
North    Carolina,    a    son   of   James   Anderson    and 
Laura  Rebecca  (Thompson)  Long.    His  father  was 
horn  in  this  county,  May  23,  1841,  a  son  of  Rat- 
liff    and   Mary    (Walters)    Long,    and   received   a 
common    school    education,    beginning    life    as    a 
farmer.     When   the   Civil   war   broke  out,   he   en- 
listed in  Company  H,  Twenty-fourth  North  Caro- 
lina Regiment,  C.   S.  A.,  with  which  command  he 
fought  to   the  end  of  the  struggle,  rising  to  the 
rank  of  sergeant.     Later  in  life  he  became  major 
on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Julian  S.  Carr,  United  Con- 
federate Veterans.     When  the  war   closed  he   re- 
sumed  his   farming   operations,   but   his   interests 
gradually  extended   to    other   fields,   he   becoming 
president  of  the  Peoples  Bank  of  Roxboro  and  of 
the  two  Roxboro  Cotton  Mills,  and  owner  of  the 
Loch  Lily  Roller  Flour  and  Grist  Mills,  Saw  Mills 
and  Planing  Mills.    Mr.  Long  has  been  prominently 
before  the  public  in  many  positions  of  civic  trust. 
As  early  as  1885  he  was  a  member  of  the  North 
Carolina   House   of   Representatives   from    Person 
County,   and   in   1889,    1901,   1905   and   1909   was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate.     He  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Kitehin  a  member  of  the  Stat«  Building 
Commission  to  supervise  the  erection  of  the  State 
Administration  Building  provided  for  by  the  Leg- 
islature of  1911,  and  was  selected  by  Col.  Ashley 
Home  as  a  member  of  the  committee  to  supervise 
the  erection  of  the  monument  to  the  North  Carolina 
Women  of  the  Confederacy,  presented  by  the  colonel 
to  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  to  be  erected  in 
Capitol  Square,  Raleigh.     He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist   Church,  is  a  trustee  of  the  Methodist 
Orphanage,   belongs  to   the   board   of   trustees   of 
Trinity  College,  and  is  chairman  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  Greensboro  Female  College.     In  1882 
he   was   united   in   marriage   with   Laura  Rebecca 
Thompson,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three 
children. 

Matt  R.  Long  received  his  early  education  in 
the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Roxboro,  following 
whio4i  he  attended  Trinity  College,  and  then  com- 
pleted his  training  by  a  course  at  the  Virginia 
Military  Institute.  When  he  entered  the  business 
world  it  was  as  proprietor  of  an  automobile  garage 
and  a  dealer  in  automobiles  and  supplies,  but  in 
1911  he  disposed  of  his  interests  in  that  direction. 
Mr.  Long  is  well  and  favorably  known  in  busi- 
ness circles  of  Roxboro  and  the  surrounding  country 
and  his  standing  among  his  associates  and  com- 
petitors is  an  excellent  one.  He  is  president  of 
the  Roxboro  Light  and  Power  Company  and  a  di- 
rector in  the  Peoples  Bank,  and  in  various  ways 
is  an  active  factor  in  the  busy  life  of  this  growing 
locality.  He  is  an  adherent  of  the  Good  Roads 
Movement  and  has  been  able  to  accomplish  much 
good  in  this  way  as  chairman  of  the  County  High- 
way Commission. 

Mr.  Long  was  married  February  22,  1914,  to 
Miss  Oveda  Page,  of  Bartow,  Florida,  and  to  this 
union  there  has  been  born  one  child,  Laura  Oveda. 

John  Blackwell  Sparrow  has  spent  his  active 
life  as  a  business  man  of  Washington,  is  a  banker 


112 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


in  that  city,  and  has  made  himself  a  factor  in  its 
civic  advancement  and  welfare. 

His  father,  the  late  Thomas  Sparrow,  was  born 
at  Newbern  in  North  Carolina  in  October,  1819, 
and  was  long  distinguished  in  North  Carolina's 
professional  and  public  affairs.  He  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Jeanette  Sparrow,  the  former  a  native 
of  Newbern  and  the  latter  of  Hyde  County,  this 
state.  Thomas  Sparrow,  Jr.,  was  liberally  edu- 
cated, atteuding  Caldwell  Institute  at  Greensboro 
from  February,  18:i6,  to  April,  1839.  In  October, 
18.39,  he  entered  the  sophomore  class  of  Princeton 
College,  New  Jersey,  and  iu  October,  1842  was 
graduated  valedictorian.  He  afterwards  took  a 
post-graduate  course  for  the  Master  of  Arts  de- 
gree. 

In  1842  he  began  the  study  of  law  under  Judge 
William  Gaston,  was  licensed  to  practice  in  the 
County  Court  in  184o,  and  in  the  Superior  Court 
in  1844.  Thomas  Sparrow  locateil  at  Washington 
in  1847,  forming  a  partnership  with  Hon.  Edward 
Stanley.  He  rapidly  rose  to  prominence  both  at 
the  bar  and  in  politics.  In  the  Legislature  of 
1870  he  was  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Managers 
at,  the  impeachment  trial  of  Gov.  W.  W.  Holdeu. 

Ho  left  a  well  established  law  practice  to  serve 
his  country  at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  Jn 
1861  he  organized  the  first  company  from  Beaufort 
County  and  was  one  of  the  most  devoted  followers 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  At  the  battle  of 
Hatteras  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  spent  six 
months  at  Fort  Lafayette  in  New  York  Harbor 
and  Fort  Warren  in  Boston  Harbor.  He  was  com- 
missioned major  of  the  40tli  North  Carolina  Artil- 
lery and  made  inspector  of  ordnance  for  the  de- 
fenses of  the  Cape  Fear.  Headquarters  were  at 
Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  Major  Sparrow 
never  surrendered  his  sword  or  took  the  oath  of 
allegiance.  The  sword  wliich  he  carried  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  his  son  John  B.  Sparrow.  He 
was  several  times  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. In  politics  he  was  alBliated  with  the  old 
whig  party  and  from  that  became  a  democrat.  He 
was  a  ruling  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  April,  1844,  Thomas  Sparrow  married  Ann 
M.  Blaekwell,  daughter  of  John  Blackwell,  of 
Newbern,  North  Carolina.  They  had  six  children: 
Eev.  George  A.  Sparrow,  of  Lowell,  North  Caro- 
lina; Anna,  wife  of  Dr.  R.  H.  Lewis,  of  Raleigh; 
Margaret,  Mrs.  C.  M.  Payne,  of  Raleigh;  Eliza- 
beth, Mrs.  H.  A.  McCord  of  Cliicago;  Caroline, 
Mrs.  R.  F.  Dalton,  of  Greensboro,  North  Carolina; 
and  John  B.   Sparrow. 

The  original  ancestors  of  the  Sparrow  family 
came  from  England  and  were  colonial  settlers  in 
Southeastern  Virginia. 

John  Blackwell  Sparrow  was  born  January  19, 
1860,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  where  his  parents 
lived  a  short  time  before  the  war.  When  he  was 
about  a  year  old  his  parents  returned  to  North 
Carolina  and  he  grew  up  at  Washington.  His 
early  education  was  under  the  direction  of  a  pri- 
vate tutor.  Mr.  Sparrow  was  a  general  merchant 
at  Washington  for  ten  years  and  for  thirteen 
years  was  connected  with  the  firm  of  S.  R.  Fowle 
&  Son.  In  May,  1903,  he  became  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Savings  &  Trust  Company  of 
Washington  and  has  since  been  its  cashier.  He  is 
also  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Home  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Association.  Mr.  Sparrow  has  been 
an  official  in  the  Washington  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, is  president  of  the  Washington  Public 
Library  Association,  chairman  of  the  County 
Board  of  Education,  was  city  clerk  and  treasurer 


eight  years,  a  member  of  the  city  council  six  vears, 
and  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.'  No- 
vember 30,  1892,  he  married  Miss  Fannie  Tunstall 
Payne,  of  Lexington,  North  Carolina,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Robert  Lee  and  Winifred  (Wilson)  Payne. 
They  have  one  son,  Thomas  De  Lamar,  born  Sep- 
tember 10,  189.5,  and  now  a  student  of  medicine 
in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Thomas  Bbowx  Finley.  Conspicuous  among 
the  more  talented  and  able  members  of  the  Wilkes 
County  bar  is  Thomas  Brown  Finley,  of  North 
Wilkesboro;  a  lawj'er  who  has  gained  prominence 
in  his  profession;  a  i)ublic-spirited  citizen  whose 
intiuence  has  been  felt  iu  the  establishment  of 
enterprises  conducive  to  the  betterment  of  the 
community  in  which  he  resides;  and  a  business 
man  of  undoubted  ability  and  integrity.  A  na- 
tive of  Wilkesboro,  he  was  born  at  Fairmouut,  now 
Kensington  Heights,  a  son  of  Augustus  W.  Finley, 
and  grandson  of  Maj.  John  Finley,  an  early  settler 
of  Wilkes  County. 

Maj.  John  Finley  was  born  and  brought  up  in 
Adams  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  acquired  a 
good  education,  aud  a  practical  training  in  busi- 
ness pursuits.  Coming  in  early  life  to  the  Valley 
of  Virginia  and  then  to  North  Carolina,  he  pur- 
chased property  in  Wilkesboro,  and  on  a  rise  of 
ground  erected  a  substantial  brick  house  near  the 
site  of  the  present  courthouse.  In  partnership  with 
Colonel  Waugh,  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
on  an  extensive  scale,  establishing  a  chain  of  stores, 
including  one  store  in  each  of  tlie  following  named 
places:  Wilkesboro;  Jefferson;  Shouns  Cross 
Roads,  Tennessee;  Lenoir;  and  one  in  Cherokee 
County.  Buying  their  goods  in  the  North,  this  en- 
terprising firm  either  had  them  transported  with 
teams  from  Baltimore,  or  else  had  them  shipped 
to  Fayetteville,  this  state,  and  transported  from 
there  with  teams. 

In  addition  to  his  mercantile  interests.  Major 
Finley  was  identified  with  various  other  enter- 
prises. He  owned  valuable  real  estate,  operated  a 
tannery,  and  was  interested  in  a  hotel  in  Wilkes- 
boro. He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  dying  when 
eighty-seven  years  old.  He  married  Ellen  Tate, 
who  was  born  near  Staunton,  Virginia,  and  they 
reared  four  children,  namely:  Augustus  W.;  Wil- 
liam W.;  John  T.;  and  Clarinda  Eliza,  who  mar- 
ried Doctor  Bouscheele. 

Augustus  W.  Finley  was  born  in  Wilkesboro  in 
1812,  and  died  at  his  home,  the  present  site  of 
North  Wilkesboro,  December  30,  1889.  He  received 
an  academic  education,  and  after  reaching  man's 
estate  migrated  to  Mississippi,  where  he  embarked 
in  mercantile  pursuits,  while  there  becoming  fa- 
miliar with  the  language  of  various  Indian  tribes. 
Returning  to  Wilkes  County,  he  purchased  land 
including  the  present  site  of  North  Wilkesboro, 
and  Fairmount,  now  known  as  Kensington  Heights, 
where  stood  the  ' '  Red  House, ' '  built  by  Charles 
Gordon,  and  in  the  house  subsequently  erected  on 
that  spot,  he  spent  many  years,  and  in  it  occurred 
the  birth  of  his  son  Thomas,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch. 

An  extensive  agriculturist  and  land  owner  and 
dealer,  Augustus  W.  Finley  made  several  trips 
to  the  then  far  West,  journeying  either  by  stage 
or  on  horseback.  He  visited  different  parts  of 
Missouri,  Iowa,  and  Minnesota,  and  in  each  of 
these  states  bought  land,  mostly  unimproved.  He 
owned  large  tracts  of  grazing  land  in  Ashe  County, 
North  Carolina,  where  he  kept  herds  of  cattle 
during    the    grazing   season,    but   taking   them    to 


c^t^-a^^i^ 


L 


n 


HISTORY  OP  NORTH  CAROLINA 


lie 


Wilkesboro  winters.  A  few  days  prior  to  his  deatli, 
he  soli],  and  signed  the  deed  to 'the  tirst  lot  of 
land  sold  in  North  Wilkesboro. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  Augustus  W. 
Finley  was  Martha  Gordon.  She  was  born  in 
Wilkesboro,  in  1821,  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Gor- 
don, and  granddaughter  of  George  Gordon,  a 
jiioneer  of  Wilkes  County,  a  member  of  the  cele- 
brated Gordon  family  of  Scotland.  Leaving  Vir- 
ginia, his  native  state  when  young,  George  Gordon 
located  in  Wilkes  County,  this  state,  and  having 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  west  bank  of 
Reddies  River,  close  to  the  present  site  of  North 
Wilkesboro,  and  extending  westward,  he  improved 
a  fine  estate,  whicli  lie  operated  with  slave  labor. 
There  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days,  a  pros- 
perous agriculturist,  and  a  respected  citizen.  His 
son,  Nathaniel  Gordon,  father  of  Martha  Gordon, 
and  grandfather  of  Thomas  B.  Finley,  was  active 
and  prominent  in  public  life,  and  served  several 
terms  in  the  State  Legislature,  of  which  he  was 
a  member  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Nathaniel  Gordon  married  Sarah  Lenoir  Gwyn, 
who  was  born  in  Wilkes  County,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  family  of  Lenoirs  to  which  Gen.  William 
Lenoir,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  belonged.  They 
reared  several  children,  among  them  having  been 
Gen.  James  B.  Gordon,  in  whose  sketch,  which 
appears  on  another  page  of  this  volume,  may  be 
found  further  ancestral  record.  Of  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  W.  Finley,  eight  children  were 
born,  as  follows:  Sarah  Ellen,  who  married  Sam- 
uel F.  Pilson;  Martha  Octavia;  James  Edward; 
John  George;  Carrie  G.,  wife  of  Frank  Pilson; 
Arthur  A. ;  and  Thomas  Brown.  The  mother 
survived  her  husband  several  years,  passing  away 
in  1898. 

Obtaining  his  early  education  in  the  public  and 
private  schools  of  Wilkesboro,  Thomas  Brown  Fin- 
ley was  fitted  for  college  at  the  Finley  High 
School  at  Lenoir.  He  afterward  spent  three  years 
as  a  student  at  Davidson  College,  subsequently 
studying  law,  for  which  he  had  a  natural  apti- 
tude, under  Col.  Geo.  N.  Folk,  at  his  home  on  the 
Yadkin  River,  Caldwell  County.  Admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1885,  Mr.  Finley  immediately  opened  a  law 
office  in  Wilkesboro,  and  through  his  legal  knowl- 
edge, ability  and  skill  lias  built  up  an  extensive 
and  remunerative  practice,  not  only  in  his  own 
county,  but  in  adjoining  counties.  In  his  labors, 
he  has  been  associated  with  other  attorneys  of 
note,  having  first  been  in  partnership  with  John  S. 
Craner;  later  with  H.  L.  Greene;  and  since  1902 
has  been  witli  F.  B.  Hendren. 

Keenly  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  of  city  and  county,  Mr.  Finley  has 
lieen  actively  identified  with  enterprises  of  a  bene- 
ficial nature.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Town  of  North  Wilkesboro,  and  was  one  of  the 
organizers,  and  a  director  of  its  first  bank.  He 
has  always  taken  a  genuine  interest  in  agricul- 
ture, and  in  1907  was  a  member  of  the  Wilkes 
County  Corn  Club,  and  raised  110  bushels  of  corn 
to  the  acre,  and  won  the  first  prize.  He  was  one 
of  the  promoters  of  the  Wilkes  County  Fair  As- 
sociation, which  he  has  served  as  president  since 
its  organization  in  1908.  He  is  also  president  of 
the  Oak  Furniture  Co.,  The  Shell  Chair  Co.,  and 
the  Gordon  Hotel  Co.,  director  in  various  other 
companies,  and  the  chairman  of  the  Graded  School 
Board  of  Trustees.  Mr.  Finley  has  title  to  vast 
tracts  of  real  estate,  owning  upwards  of  16,000 
acres  of  mountain  land,  mucli  of  which  is  covered 


with  valualde  timber,  and  more  than  a  1,000  acres 
in  the  vicinity  of  Wilkesboro. 

A  loyal  supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  demo- 
cratic party,  Mr.  Finley  is  active  and  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  and  at  the  solicitation  of  friends 
became  a  candidate  for  nomination  for  judge  in 
1910.  The  convention  met  at  Newton,  but  ad- 
journed without  nominating,  and  later  convened  at 
Hickory,  over  700  ballots  were  cast,  with  Mr. 
Finley  leading  the  field  until  the  final  combination 
was  made.  He  served  as  an  elector  on  the  presi- 
dential ticket  in  1916,  casting  his  vote  for  Wood- 
row  Wilson  at  Ealeigh,  and  was  present  at  Wash- 
ington when  both  houses  of  Congress  met  to  pro- 
claim the  vote  for  President  of  the  United  States. 
On  June  1,  1918,  T.  B.  Finley  was  nominated 
for  judge  of  the  17th  .Judicial  District  in  the 
primary,  by  an  overwhelming  majority  over  two 
opponents.  This  nomination  is  equivalent  to  an 
election  as  judges  are  elected  by  the  entire  state. 

Mr.  Finley  married  September  27,  1893,  Miss 
Carrie  Lizzie  Cowles,  who  was  born  in  Wilkesboro, 
a  daughter  of  Col.  W.  H.  H.  and  Cora  (Worth) 
Cowles.  Her  father  was  a  distinguished  Con- 
federate colonel,  solicitor  for  eight  years,  and  a 
member  of  Congress  for  eight  years.  Into  their 
attractive  home  five  children  have  been  born, 
namely :  Lura,  wife  of  Mc  'd.  Coffey ;  Thomas 
Augustus,  who  was  graduated  from  Davidson  Col- 
lege with  the  class  of  1917;  Corinna  C. ;  Ellen  and 
Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Finley  has  two  brothers  in  the 
arm}',  one  at  West  Point,  and  their  only  son  and 
son-in-law  are  in  the  Navy  and  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  doing  their  best  for  their 
country.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.  Their  home,  "The  Oaks,"  a 
finely  built,  modern  structure,  is  beautifully  lo- 
cated on  a  hillside,  overlooking  the  valley  and  the 
mountains  beyond,  and  is  noted  for  its  generous 
hospitality,  the  friends  of  each  and  every  member 
of  the  family  always  being  warmly  welcomed. 

Joseph  Reid  Fletcher.  One  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial names  in  mercantile  affairs  at  Winston- 
Salem  is  that  of  Fletcher.  The  Fletcher  Brothers, 
including  Joseph  Reid,  have  for  many  years  con- 
ducted a  large  wholesale  and  retail  clothing  house 
in  that  city,  and  have  a  trade  covering  practically 
all  Western  North  Carolina  and  Southern  states. 

It  was  after  a  long  and  thorough  apprenticeship 
as  a  clerk,  traveling  salesman  and  general  busi- 
ness man  that  Joseph  R.  Fletcher  entered  the  pres- 
ent firm  at  Winston-Salem.  He  is  also  well  known 
in  banking  and  public  affairs  in  that  city.  Mr. 
Fletcher  was  born  on  a  farm  in  East  Bend  Town- 
ship of  Yadkin  County.  His  grandfather  Ambrose 
Fletcher  is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of  the 
same  locality.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade. 
When  he  practiced  that  art  shoe  factories  had  not 
come  into  existence.  The  trade  of  shoemaker  was 
one  of  the  best  of  the  manual  arts.  All  shoes  and 
boots  were  made  to  order  and  in  the  hands  of 
a  skilled  operative  the  trade  was  a  most  profit- 
able one.  Ambrose  Fletcher  followed  this  busi- 
ness practically  all  his  life  in  Y'adkin  County. 

John  F.  Fletcher,  father  of  the  Winston-Salem 
merchant,  was  born  in  East  Bend  Township  in 
what  was  then  Surry  County,  learned  the  trade  of 
his  father,  and  subsequently  bought  a  farm  near 
the  present  site  of  Enon  Cliurch.  Early  in  the 
war  he  enlisted  and  gave  faithful  service  to  the 
Confederate  cause.  Following  the  war  he  lived  on 
his  farm  for  several  years  and  while  sui)crintend- 


114 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


ing  its  operations  he  also  followed  his  trade.  Later 
he  rented  the  farm  and  mo%'ing  to  Winston-Salem 
spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in  that  city.  He  mar- 
ried Caroline  Brann.  She  was  born  near  the 
present  site  of  Enon  Chapel  in  East  Bend  Town- 
ship. The  gi'andparents  were  of  German  ancestry 
and  from  their  former  home  in  Caswell  County 
moved  to  what  is  now  East  Bend  Township  of 
Yadkin  County,  and  there  hewed  a  farm  from  the 
woods.  Caroline  Brann 's  father  was  Thomas 
Brann,  who  was  born  on  the  homestead  that  has 
been  her  birthplace.  He  was  a  farmer,  lived 
prosperously  and  diligently  in  that  community  all 
his  life.  Mrs.  John  F.  Fletcher  is  still  living  at 
Winston-Saleni  at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  She 
reared  seven  children:  Lueinda,  Joseph  Reid,  New- 
ton G.,  Hiram  D.,  John  Henry,  Cora  Elizabeth,  and 
Thomas  Luther.  All  the  children  are  living  ex- 
cept Lufinda,  Hiram  D.  and   Tliomas  Luther. 

Joseph  R.  Fletcher  as  a  boy  attended  rural 
schools  and  subsequently  the  Oak  Ridge  Institute. 
While  in  the  institute  he  was  assistant  teacher 
part  of  the  time.  He  was  graduated  in  1886  and 
following  that  had  a  year  of  experience  as  a 
teacher.  C!oming  to  Winston-Salem,  he  learned 
merchandising  as  clerk  for  Jacob  Tise,  and  then 
entered  the  offices  of  P.  H.  Hanes  &  Co.,  where  he 
spent  eleven  years.  For  two  years  Mr.  Fletcher 
traveled  over  much  of  the  country  selling  rice  and 
coffee  for  a  wholesale  house  at  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  Next  he  was  agent  for  a  hosiery  mill 
five  years.  In  the  meantime  he  had  become  finan- 
cially interested  in  the  clothing  business  with  his 
brothers  John  H.,  Newton  G.  and  Thomas  L.,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Fletcher  Brothers.  He  is  now 
actively  identified  as  a  partner  in  that  concern,  and 
though  they  started  modestly  and  with  small  cap- 
ital the  establishment  has  been  built  up  to  large 
proportions  and  influential  connections  throughout 
this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Fletcher  was  married  in  1898  to  Catherine 
Conner  Broughton,  who  was  born  in  Clarendon 
County,  South  Carolina.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Col.  Jackson  J.  and  Mrs.  (Harven)  Broughton, 
and  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Sir  Thomas  Brough- 
ton, who  was  a  memlier  of  King  George's  privy 
council.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  have  two  children : 
Frances  Josephine  and  Joseph  Reid,  .Jr.  Mrs. 
Fletcher  is  an  active  member  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  while  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Beacons  of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 
He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Merchants  National 
Bank  at  Winston-Salem. 

During  his  residence  at  Winston-Salem  Mr. 
Fletcher 's  interest  has  always  been  keen  in  local 
affairs,  and  for  four  years  he  served  as  an  alder- 
man. During  that  time  he  was  chairman  of  the 
waterworks  committee  and  the  finance  committee. 

Thomas  N.  Chaffin.  An  active  and  able  mem- 
ber of  the  Davie  County  bar,  Thomas  N.  Chaffin, 
a  prosperous  attorney  of  Mocksville,  has  won 
prestige  in  the  legal  profession,  and  holds  high 
rank  among  the  more  useful  and  respected  mem- 
bers of  his  community.  He  was  born,  July  6,  1867, 
in  Mocksville,  his  home  city,  while  his  father,  Mar- 
tin Rowan  Chaffin,  was  born  on  a  farm  lying  two 
miles  south  of  Mocksville,  his  birth  occurring  No- 
vember 25,  1828. 

Mr.  Chaffin 's  grandfather,  William  O.  Chaffin, 
was  a  pioneer  teacher  of  Rowan  County,  and  a 
man  of  considerable  influence.  In  a  very  early  day 
he  moved  to  Indiana  where  he  continued  his  resi- 


dence until  his  death.  He  was  twice  married.  The 
maiden  name  of 'his  first  wife  was  Hendrix.  She 
died  in  early  womanhood,  leaving  two  children, 
Martin  Rowan  and  Sarah.  By  his  second  marriage 
he  had  two  children,  Stanley  and  Emily,  both  of 
whom  settled  in  Kansas. 

Martin  Rowan  Cliaffin  studied  under  Baxter 
Clegg  when  young,  accjuiring  an  excellent  educa- 
tion, and  for  many  years  was  a  successful  and  pop- 
ular teacher  in  the  public  schools.  He  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  Davie  County,  since  1866  having 
made  his  home  in  Mocksville.  On  September  15, 
1858,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  F. 
McClennon,  who  was  born  June  3,  1835.  She  died 
September  10,  1861,  leaving  two  children,  both  of 
whom  died  in  childhood.  He  married  second,  June 
15,  1865,  Emma  Frances  Brock,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 18,  1838,  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Clarissa  (Smith)  Brock,  both  natives  of  Davie 
County.  Slie  died  August  17,  1911.  To  her  and 
her  husband  seven  children  were  born,  as  follows: 
Aura  A.,  who  married  S.  M.  Halton ;  Thomas  N., 
of  this  sketch;  William  B.,  deceased;  Jessie  B., 
wife  of  A.  M.  McGlamary;  Corinue,  wife  of 
Joseph  W.  Kimbrough;  Clara  T.,  who  married 
Bruce  Craven;   and  Helen  E.,  wife  of  Oscar  Rich. 

Having  laid  a  good  foundation  for  his  future 
eilucation  in  the  public  schools  of  Mocksville, 
Thomas  N.  Chaffin  attended  Trinity  College  for  a 
year.  Beginning  life  as  a  teacher,  he  first  taught 
in  School  No.  2,  Howard  District,  Davie  County, 
subsequently  having  charge  of  schools  in  both 
Bethel  and  Elbaville.  Ambitious  to  enter  the  legal 
profession,  Mr.  Chaffin  while  yet  employed  as  a 
teacher,  studied  law  under  the  preeeptorship  of 
Quinton  Holton,  and  proved  himself  so  apt  a  stu- 
dent that  in  1889  he  was  admitted  to  practice.  He 
taught  school  one  more  year  after  receiving  his 
license,  and  then  located  in  Wilkesboro,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for 
two  years.  Returning  then  to  Mocksville,  his 
native  place,  Mr.  Cliaffin  has  since  built  up  a 
large  and  extremely  satisfactory  patronage  as  a 
lawyer  of  high  standing,  and  has  also  established 
an  extensive  insurance  business. 

Mr.  Chaffin  married,  January  15,  1893,  Miss 
Pattie  E.  Reid,  daughter  of  Rev.  Numa  and  Sallie 
(Wright)  Reid.  She  died  December  24,  1905, 
leaving  one  daughter,  Emma  L.,  now  a  student  in 
Trinity  College.  Mr.  Chaffin  married  for  his  sec- 
ond wife,  February  14,  1907,  Miss  Ida  F.  Betts, 
who  was  born  in  Ashboro,  North  Carolina,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1885,  a  daughter  of  Albert  L.  and  Lettie 
(Hannah)  Betts.  By  this  marriage  there  are  five 
children  living,  namely:  Sarah,  Hattie,  Louise, 
Albert  N.  and  William  "B. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cliaffin  are  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  Sunday  school 
of  which  he  was  for  four  years  the  superintendent. 
Fraternally  Mr.  Chaffin  is  identified  by  membership 
with  Mocksville  Council  No.  226,  Junior  Order  of 
I'nited  American  Mechanics. 

George  Hackney,  Jr.,  is  one  of  the  jirominent 
young  business  executives  of  Washington,  has  had 
a  wide  experience  in  manufacturing  lines,  and  is 
now  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  leading  automobile 
saJes   agencies   in   that  part   of  the   state. 

He  was  born  in  Wilson,  North  Carolina,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1887,  son  of  George  and  Bessie  (Acra) 
Hackney.  His  father  for  a  long  period  of  years 
has  been  prominent  in  manufacturing  circles. 
The    son    was    educated    in    the    public    schools,    in 


TTLD 


' yiiA^Z^^':UJ^ 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


115 


the  Biiigliaiii  Military  Schoo.l,  and  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Carolina.  He  returned  from 
college  to  become  associated  with  his  father 's 
manufacturing  business,  and  in  1907  organized 
the  Washington  Buggy  Company,  of  which  he  was , 
owner  and  manager.  He  sold  that  part  of  the 
business  August  19,  1914,  and  has  since  concen- 
trated his  energies  upon  the  automobile  business. 
He  has  the  general  agency  both  in  North  and 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia  for  the  Stewart  Auto- 
mobile trucks.  He  also  organized  and  established 
the  Hassell  Supply  Company,  but  has  since  sold 
his  interests  in  that  organization.  Mr.  Hackney 
is  a.  former  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  Washington  and  is  alHliated  with  the  Benevolent 
an<l   Protective   Order   of   Elks. 

December  2'A,  190S,  he  married  Miss  Eva  Has- 
sell, of  Washington.  They  have  one  child,  Eva 
Hassell  Hackney. 

Win>i.\M  G.  Cr.^nford  is  one  of  the  best  known 
residents  of  Winston-Salem,  was  long  engaged  in 
business  there,  and  is  still  practicing  his  jirofes- 
sion  as  a  veterinary  surgeon.  As  a  youth  he  had 
comparatively  few  opportunities,  since  he  was 
an  orphan  child,  and  has  proved  his  ability  in 
every  cajiacity  and  in  every  relationship  in  his 
mature  life. 

He  was  born  on  a  farm  about  five  miles  from 
Salisbury  in  Rowan  County,  North  Carolina,  in 
June,  1801.  His  father,  Wilburn  Cranford,  was 
born  in  Montgomery  County,  North  Carolina, 
reared  and  educated  there,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  wa.s  overseer  of  a  large  plantation.  Later 
he  bought  a  farm  of  his  own  in  Rowan  County  and 
lived  there  until  his  death  early  in  1861,  three 
months  before  the  birth  of  his  youngest  child, 
William  G.  Wilburn  Cranford  married  Martha 
Elizabeth  Todd,  a  native  of  Rowan  County  and 
daughter  of  Joseph  Todd.  Joseph  Todd  was  a 
planter  and  slave  owner  the  most  of  his  life  in 
Rowan  County.  Mrs.  Wilburn  Cranford  died  in 
1867,  leaving  four  children:  Frank,  a  resident  of 
San  Francisco,  California;  Scott,  a  resident  of 
Portsmouth,  Ohio;  Maggie,  wife  of  John  Page, 
of  Salisbury;    and  William  G. 

Only  six  years  of  age  when  his  mother  died, 
the  young  orphan,  William  G.  Cranford,  was  then 
taken  to  the  home  of  Jeremiah  Raeber,  a  farmer 
and  miller  in  Rowan  County.  Thus  he  grew  up 
practically  among  strangers,  had  limited  educa- 
tional opportunities,  and  early  became  accus- 
tomed to  hard  work  as  means  of  self  support.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  began  learning  the  black- 
smith'»  trade  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Salisbury. 

Mr.  Ci'anford  is  an  old  resident  of  Winston- 
Salem,  where  he  located  in  1886.  Here  he  became 
an  employe  of  Mr.  Ed  Spach,  a  blacksmith,  and 
eleven  months  later  they  formed  a  partnership. 
It  was  a  successful  business  alliance  and  was  only 
interrupted  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Spach  in  1904. 
After  that  Mr.  Cranford  became  sole  owner  of  the 
business  and  continued  it  on  his  own  responsibility 
for  a  number  of  years.  Finally  C.  W.  Snyder 
became  his  partner,  and  they  were  together  until 
1916,  when  the  business  was  discontinued. 

During  the  early  '90s  Mr.  Cranford  began  the 
study  of  veterinary  surgery.  He  attended  lec- 
tures by  some  of  the  well  known  representatives  of 
that  profession,  and  having  a  natural  inclination 
for  the  work  he  rapidly  acquired  a  mastery  of 
the  fundajnentals  required  for  practice.  He  has 
been    in    active    practice    for    the    past    seventeen 


years,  and  his  services  are  in  wide  demand  over 
the  territory  around  Winston-Salem.  Doctor  Cran- 
ford has  always  been  a  firm  believer  in  the  great- 
ness and  the  future  prosperity  of  Winston-Salem. 
That  faith  he  has  put  to  the  supreme  test  by  in- 
vesting freely  of  his  surplus  profits  in  local  real 
estate,  and  it  has  justified  his  confidence. 

In  189.5  he  married  Miss  Jessie  E.  Talley,  a 
native  of  Forsyth  County  and  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard and  Mary  Ann  (Miller)  Talley.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cranford  have  five  children:  Cliarles  Wil- 
burn, Joseph  Edward,  Phillip  Eugene,  Lillian 
Estelle  and  Franklin  Richard.  Franklin  Richard 
has  shown  a  wonderful  gift  and  talent  in  music, 
wliile  Phillip  is  none  the  less  gifted  in  art.  The 
walls  of  tlie  family  home  are  decorated  with  many 
lieautiful  sketches  in  water  colors  executed  by 
him.  His  work  has  been  awarded  the  first  prize 
in  several  exliibitions.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  CVan- 
ford  ai-e  active  members  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Winston-Salem.  He  is  affiliated  with 
Liberty  Council  No.  3,  Junior  Order  of  United 
American  Mechanics,  with  Salem  Lodge  No.  '.'6, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  Winston 
Lodge  No.  167,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons. He  has  also  served  nine  years  as  member  of 
the  board  of  commissioners  of  Winston. 

Thomas  A.  Butner  of  Winston-Salem,  had  an 
ambition  when  a  boy  to  make  something  of  him- 
self and  his  opportunities  in  the  world,  and  he 
sought  the  opening  through  the  trade  of  car- 
penter. He  became  a  good  journeyman  carpenter, 
found  increasing  responsibilities,  and  gradually 
develo{)ed  a  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 
At  the  present  time  he  maintains  an  efficient 
organization  and  has  handled  some  of  the  largest 
contracts  in  Forsyth  County.  His  other  interests 
are  widespread  and  he  is  an  effective  factor  in  the 
civic  and   religious  life  of  his  community. 

He  is  a  native  of  Forsyth  County,  born  on  a 
farm  near  Bethania  January  1,  1870.  He  comes 
of  some  of  the  German  stock  that  was  trans- 
planted to  this  section  of  North  Carolina  in 
pioneer  times.  His  great-grandfather  Thomas 
Butner  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  on  coming 
to  America  settled  in  what  is  now  Forsyth  County. 
There  he  bought  a  tract  of  land,  made  a  farm  of 
it,  and  found  his  profit  and  plea.sure  there  the  rest 
of  his  life.  The  old  homestead  was  near  the  pi'es- 
ent  site  of  New  Hope  Church.  His  remains  now 
rest  in  the  New  Hope  Churchyard.  • 

Of  his  numerous  family  of  sons,  one  was  also 
named  Thomas,  and  was  born  near  Salem,  North 
(.larolina.  He  grew  up  on  a  farm  and  made  agri- 
culture his  lifelong  vocation.  So  far  as  known  he 
never  went  far  from  the  place  of  his  birth  and 
lived  and  died  in  the  community  where  he  was 
born.     He  married  a  Miss  George. 

William  Butner,  father  of  Thomas  A.,  was  born 
also  in  the  northern  part  of  Forsyth  County,  and 
served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  at  the  black- 
smith's trade.  For  several  years  he  conducted  a 
shop  in  Salem,  but  then  bought  a  farm  near  the 
old  homestead,  and  lived  there  until  his  death  in 
1900.  He  married  Mary  Kerney,  who  was  born 
near  Bethania,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and 
Catherine  (Rothrick)  Kerney,  the  former  a  native 
of  Stokes  County  and  the  latter  of  Davidson 
County.  Mrs.  Mary  Butner  died  in  191.5.  She 
reared  three  children,  Sarah,  Carrie  and  Thomas 
A.  Carrie  died  when  twelve  years  of  age.  Sarah 
liecame  the  wife  of  H.  P.  Fansler. 


116 


HISTOKV  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Thomas  A.  Butiier  speut  his  childhoo.l  and 
early  youth  on  the  old  tarm  in  Forsyth  County. 
His  educational  advantages  were  those  afforded  by 
the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
put  his  ambitions  into  definite  form  by  beginning 
au  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter  's  trade.  Alto- 
gether he  served  eight  years  as  an  apprentice  and 
journeyman  worker  and  was  then  given  charge  of 
construction  as  carpenter  foreman.  After  another 
eight  years  experience  he  graduated  into  business 
for   liimself  as   a  contractor  and   builder. 

In  1896  Mr.  Butuer  bought  a  farm  two  miles 
northwest  of  the  courthouse  at  Winston -Salem, 
and  has  since  given  more  or  less  active  supervision 
to  its  management.  In  1912  he  bought  an  interest 
in  a  drug  store  on  Trade  Street  in  Winston,  and  in 
1916  became  sole  proprietor.  By  strict  fidelity  to 
the  principles  of  business  honor  he  has  prospered 
and  has  gained  an  influential  place  in  his  com- 
munity. 

When  twenty  years  of  age  Mr.  Butner  married 
Anna  Hege.  She  was  born  in  Davidson  County, 
daughter  of  George  W.  Hege.  When  she  died  in 
1897  she  left  three  children:  Etta,  Ruth  and 
Oscar.  Etta  married  Fred  Brewer  and  her  children 
are  named  Grady,  Louise,  Fred  J.  Ruth  is  the 
wife  of  Will  P.  Yow,  and  their  children  are  Naomi 
and  Nellie.  For  his  present  wife  Mr.  Butner 
married  Lillie  M.  Harvel.  She  was  horn  in  Yadkin 
County,  North  Carolina,  daughter  of  Lewis  P. 
Harvel.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butner  have  six  children: 
Paul  B.,  Myrtle  E.,  Leo,  Margaret,  Thomas  J.  and 
Cyril. 

The  religious  association  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butner 
is  with  the  Calvary  Moravian  Church,  in  which 
he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees 
and  the  board  of  elders.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  Liberty  Council  of  the  Junior  Order 
of  United  American  Mechanics  and  he  is  affiliated 
with  Winston  Aerie  Xn.  7.''.2,  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles,  and  Twin  City  Camp  No.  27  Woodmen  of 
the  World. 

Frank  T.  Meacham,  superintendent  of  the  state 
experimental  farm  for  the  Piedmont  region  of 
North  Carolina,  has  for  the  past  fourteen  years 
been  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  of  Statesville 
and  his  activity  in  business  affairs,  his  co-operation 
in  public  interests  and  his  zealous  support  of  all 
objects  that  he  believes  will  contribute  to  the  ma- 
terial, social  or  moral  improvement  of  the  com- 
munity kaeps  him  in  the  foremost  rank  of  those 
to  whom  this  section  owes  its  development  and 
present  position  as  one  of  the  leading  rural  dis- 
tricts of  the  state.  His  life  is  characterized  by 
upright,  honorable  principles  and  it  also  exemplifies 
the  truth  of  the  Emersonian  philosophy  that  "the 
way  to  win  a  friend  is  to  be  one.''  His  genial, 
kindly  manner  wins  him  the  high  regard  and  good 
will  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  and 
thus  he  is  popular  throughout  this  entire  region. 

A  native  of  Missouri,  Frank  T.  Meacham  was 
born  in  Scott  County,  that  state,  in  1869,  and  he 
is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Julia  (Christopher) 
Meacham.  Although  born  in  Missouri,  Mr. 
Meacham  is  of  North  Carolina  parentage  and  an- 
cestry and  was  raised  in  this  state.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, and  he  served  throughout  the  Civil  war  as  a 
Confederate  soldier.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the 
war  he  located  in  Benton,  Scott  County,  Missouri. 
In  the  early  '70s,  however,  the  family  returned  to 
North   Carolina   and   settled  on   a   farm   in   Wake 


County,  some  three  miles  from  Raleigh.  Under 
the  sturdy  discipline  of  this  farm  Frank  T. 
Meacham  was  reared  to  maturity  and  from  his 
earliest  youth  he  was  imbued  mth  the  idea  of 
.becoming  a  splendid,  scientific  farmer.  With  this 
idea  uppermost  in  mind  he  entered  the  Agricul- 
tural and  Mechanical  College  of  North  Carolina 
and  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  its  first  class, 
in  1893,  with  tlie  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science. 
After  completing  the  four  years '  course  he  won  a 
post-graduate  scholarship,  giving  him  an  addi- 
tional year  of  study  in  the  college;  accordingly,  he 
spent  another  year  in  study  and  received  the  de- 
gree of  Master  of  Science,  in  1894.  He  then  ob- 
tained a  position  on  the  great  Vanderbilt  estate, 
' '  Biltimore, ' '  at  Asheville,  where  he  remained  for 
a  number  of  years.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  Vanderbilts  employ  only  the  most  adequately 
equipped  men  as  managers  and  department  super- 
intendents and  tlie  fact  that  Mr.  Meacham  re- 
mained in  their  employ  for  a  number  of  years 
speaks  well  for   his   ability. 

In  190.'!,  when  it  was  decided  by  the  state  to 
establish  an  experimental  farm  somewhere  in  the 
center  of  the  Piedmont  region  of  North  Caro- 
lina, Mr.  Meacham  was  selected  by  the  state  au- 
thorities to  assume  charge  of  this  enterprise  and 
he  was  given  the  position  of  superintendent,  an 
office  he  has  filled  with  the  utmost  efficiency  during 
the  long  intervening  years  up  to  the  present  time, 
in  1917.  A  location  for  the  farm  was  chosen  in 
Iredell  County,  some  two  miles  northwest  of  States- 
ville, on  the  Taylorsville  Road,  in  which  vicinity 
210  acres  of  land  were  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $22 
per  acre.  The  place  selected  was  an  abandoned 
homestead  but  it  possessed  the  required  natural 
advantages  for  developing  an  experimental  station. 
It  is  located  most  advantageously  between  the 
Taylorsville  Pike  and  the  Southern  Railway.  The 
object  of  the  farm,  as  previously  intimated,  is  to 
help  the  farmers  of  the  Piedmont  region.  This 
section  differs  from  other  parts  of  the  state,  inas- 
much as  the  farmers  here  own  and  work  them- 
selves moderate  sized  farms,  while  elsewhere  in  the 
state,  large  plantations,  worked  mostly  by  negro 
tenants,  is  the  rule.  From  the  very  beginning  the 
farmers  of  this  region  manifested  and  have  con- 
tinued to  manifest  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in 
the  farm,  much  to  their  own  great  benefit  and 
profit. 

The  first  constructive  work,  in  starting  this 
farm,  was  to  lay  out  the  fields  in  experimental 
plots,  terracing  the  land  to  prevent  washing  by 
rains,  and  raising  it  to  an  up-to-date  farm.  This 
Mr.  Meacham  has  accomplished.  He  then  planned 
the  experiments  to  be  carried  out  and  each  suc- 
ceeding year  has  witnessed  this  place  as  one  of 
increased  usefulness  to  the  surrounding  farmers, 
for  whose  benefit  it  was  originally  planned.  The 
buildings  on  the  place  were  planned  and  con- 
structed in  keeping  with  the  nature  of  the  work 
and  they  are  modern  and  convenient  in  every  par- 
ticular. Mr.  Meacham  laid  out  pastures  and  im- 
mediately began  a  number  of  experiments  with  va- 
rious field  crops  and  grasses.  He  has  obtained  for 
the  farm  several  varieties  of  live  stock  for  breed- 
ing purposes  and  has  established  foundation  herds 
and  flocks  for  the  good  of  the  farmers  of  this 
section.  An  orchard  of  twelve  acres  was  launched, 
on  which  a  variety  of  fruits  have  been  grown  in 
order  to  determine  which  are  best  adapted  for  the 
Piedmont  soil,  both  from  the  standpoint  of  suc- 
cessful cultivation  and  profitableness  for  market- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


11/ 


ing.  The  orehartls  of  this  farm  have  been  em- 
inently siioccssful  and  tinancially  profitable  far  be- 
yond expoetation.  Numerous  fruits  have  been 
grown  with  marked  success  but  experiments  have 
shown  that  peaches,  on  account  of  their  great  de- 
mand and  the  elimination  of  cold  storage,  are  the 
most  profitable  for  this  region. 

In  regard  to  live  stock  it  has  been  found  advan- 
tageous to  take  beef  cattle  from  the  mountain  dis- 
tricts of  the  western  part  of  the  state  and  fatten 
them  for  the  eastern  markets  from  the  by-products 
of  the  farm.  In  this  connection  it  has  been  dem- 
onstrated that  the  Piedmont  farms  can  also  be 
largely  improved  by  the  manure  derived  from  the 
cattle  thus  fed.  A  herd  of  Poland-China  hogs  has 
been  maintained  on  the  experimental  farm  for 
many  years  jiast  and  hog-raising,  both  for  food 
and  for  breeding  foundation,  has  been  found  very 
remunerative.  A  small  herd  of  Jersey  cattle, 
chiefly  for  home  use,  has  also  been  maintained  on 
the  farm  and  the  offspring  of  this  herd  has  been 
placed  locally  on  various  adjacenf  farms,  the  re- 
sult being  a  grading-up  of  the  farmers'  herds. 

A  flock  of  200  thoroughbred  Rhode  Island  Red 
poultry  was  installed  on  the  farm  for  experimental 
purposes  and  has  proved  most  profitable  as  food 
since  the  inception  of  the  war. 

The  field  crops  grown  are  those  that  are  pro- 
duced largely  through  the  scientific  application  of 
fertilizers.  The  staple  crops,  such  as  cotton,  corn, 
wheat,  oats  and  peas,  are  used  to  determine  the 
tiest  varieties  adapted  for  this  section  of  the  state. 
Plots  of  pure-bred  improved  crops  have  been  grown 
largely  for  local  seed  distribution  to  farmers. 

Referring  again  to  live  stock,  Mr.  Meacham  early 
saw  the  necessity  for  improved  work  stock  for  the 
Piedmont  region,  namely — larger  and  better  horses. 
In  this  connection  one  of  his  most  recent  importa- 
tions to  the  farm  is  a  large  pure-bred  Percheron 
stallion,  heading  what  he  is  developing  into  a 
Percheron  breeding  stud  of  jnire-bred  stallions  and 
mares,  the  ob.iect  of  which  is  to  improve  the  size 
and  quality  of  the  work  horses  of  the  farms  of  the 
community.  As  a  result  of  this  enterprise  some 
400  graded  Percheron  colts  and  horses  have  been 
placed  on  farms  of  this  section. 

Another  of  the  recent  additions  to  the  farm  is  a 
flock  of  sheep,  installed  for  purposes  similar  to 
those  related  in  regard  to  the  horses,  and  it  is 
expected  that  this  experiment  also  will  be  a  great 
success  on  account  of  the  constantly  soaring  prices 
of  mutton  and  wool  and  on  account  of  the  elimina- 
tion of  the  sheep-killing  dog. 

Mr.  Meacham  has  employed  every  possible  means 
of  placing  the  results  of  his  successful  experiments 
immediately  before  the  farmers,  whom  they  are 
calculated  to  benefit.  He  cultivates  a  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  farmers  and  encourages  them 
to  visit  the  farm,  where  they  are  shown  practical 
demonstrations  either  by  himself  or  by  his  as- 
sistants. All  through  the  growing  season  parties 
of  interested  farmers  daily  visit  the  place  and  are 
cheerfully  shown  the  results  of  experiments  that 
may  mean  considerable  profit  to  themselves.  Prac- 
tically all  the  work  on  the  farm  is  labeled  in  plain 
' '  farmer 's ' '  language.  Farmers '  institutes  have 
been  held  at  various  and  frequent  intervals  and  the 
interest  in  these  in  late  years  has  grown  to  such 
an  extent  that  they  are  frequently  attended  by 
from  2,000  to  3,000  farmers,  often  accompanied 
by  their  wives  and  families.  In  addition  to  the 
institutes,  lectures  and  demonstrations  are  given 
on  the  farm  and  during  the  summer  months  pic- 


nics are  given  by  different  communities  of  farmers, 
the  same  being  a  source  of  pleasure  and  recreation 
to  the  farmer;  these  gatherings  are  usually  ad- 
dressed by  speakers  of  prominence  in  the  agri- 
cultural world. 

Reverting  to  Mr.  Meacham  's  biographical  sketch, 
he  married,  December  29,  1896,  Miss  Eflae  Bar- 
nard, of  Asheville.  They  have  seven  fine,  vigorous 
children:  Frank,  Julia,  Hilda,  Effie,  Earl,  Hazel, 
James  Edward.  In  his  family  life  and  home  ad- 
ministration, Mr.  Meacham  carries  out  the  same 
practical  method  and  system  that  he  uses  in  con- 
ducting his  business.  He  keeps  strict  account  of 
all  personal  and  household  expenditures,  an  inter- 
esting feature  of  which  shows  .iust  what  the  rear- 
ing of  each  of  his  children  costs. 

Mr.  Meacham 's  personal  habits  from  boyhood 
have  been  of  the  most  exemplary  character.  He 
lias  never  smoked,  drank,  wasted  time,  or  indulged 
in  any  habits  or  vanities  that  would  detract  from 
his  maintaining  the  highest  personal  efficiency. 
However,  he  and  his  family  live  generously  on  the 
best  the  land  affords,  they  have  an  exceptionally 
happy  and  comfortable  home  and  enjoy  all  the 
wholesome  pleasures  of  life.  There  has  been  very 
little  sickness  in  the  family  and  Mr.  Meacham, 
liimself,  has  not  lost  a  day  out  of  his  work  for 
the  past  twenty-eight  years,  nor  has  he  missed  a 
regular  meal  during  all  that  time.  High  personal 
efficiency  shows  results  of  a  like  kind  in  one's 
work  and  this  is  particularly  true  of  Mr.  Meacham 
and  his  life  work.  Nothing  under  his  jurisdiction 
is  ever  wasted  and  the  result  is  the  greatest  good 
to  the  greatest  number. 

Mr.  Meacham  is  genial  in  his  associations,  af- 
fable in  his  address,  generous  in  his  judgment  of 
his  fellow  men,  and  courteous  to  all.  As  a  citizen 
and  enthusiast  of  his  home  locality,  it  is  but  just 
to  say  that  communities  will  prosper  and  grow  in 
proportion  as  they  put  a  premium  on  men  of  his 
mold. 

Neill  Al.E.XANDER  CuRRlE.  In  the  business 
world  of  Bladen  County,  and  more  particularly 
in  the  territory  immediately  contiguous  to  the 
City  of  Clarkton,  there  is  no  name  better  oi  more 
favorably  known  than  that  of  Neill  Alexander 
Currie.  Belonging  to  a  family  the  members  of 
which  have  long  held  a  foremost  place  in  com- 
mercial, public  and  civic  life,  he  is  worthily  rep- 
resenting the  honored  name  which  he  bears,  not 
alone  as  a  business  man  but  as  an  influential 
supporter  of  the  best  interests  of  his  section  and 
its  people. 

Mr.  Currie  was  born  at  CTlarkton,  Bladen  County, 
North  Carolina,  in  1872,  a  son  of  Hon.  John  Dun- 
can and  Amanda  Louise  (Cromartie)  Currie,  and 
on  both  sides  of  the  family  is  of  ]iure  Scotch  stock, 
these  names  having  lieen  known  and  revered  in 
the  Cape  Fear  community  from  a  period  dating 
before  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. The  father  of  Mr.  Currie  was  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  North  Carolinians  of  his  day 
in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  passed  his  life  at 
Clarkton.  He  attended  the  I'^niversity  of  North 
Carolina  until  his  senior  year,  when  he  gave  up 
his  studies  to  enlist  as  a  soldier  in  the  Confederate 
Army,  which  he  was  finally  forced  to  leave  after 
his  third  wound  because  of  disability,  in  1864. 
Returning  to  Clarkton,  he  entered  business  and 
later  agriculture,  was  editor  of  a  paper  largely 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  education,  and  was  sent 
to  rejiresent   his  fellow  citizens  in  the  Legislative 


118 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Imlls  of  tlie  state.  A  review  of  tlie  career  of  tliis 
distiuguished  citizen  will  be  fouuil  elsewhere  in 
this  work. 

Neill  Alexander  Currie  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Clarkton  and  at  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  a  student  for 
three  years.  After  comiug  out  of  college  he  .en- 
gaged' in  the  mercantile  business  at  Clarkton, 
succeeding  to  the  original  enterprise,  whicli  hail 
been  founded  by  his  father  in  186ti.  Mr.  Currie 
built  up  and  has  for  many  years  carried  on  a 
large  general  merchandise  and  ]ilantation  supply 
business  that  for  sueeesstul  mana<j;enient,  higli 
standing  in  the  commercial  world,  and  popularity 
with  the  purchasing  public  in  the  quite  extensive 
territory  the  .store  covers,  is  second  to  none  otlicj- 
in  this  section  of  North  Carolina.  It  is  a  com- 
mercial house  the  success  of  which  is  built  upon 
honor  and  transacts  a  business  the  yearly  volume 
of  which  is  very  large.  Mr.  Currie  is  widely  known 
as  one  of  the  best  business  men  of  this  j  art  of 
the  state. 

Like  his  late  father,  Mr.  Currie  has  taken  a  . 
jirominent  part  in  public  affairs  and  in  the  de- 
velopment and  commercial  expansion  of  the  in- 
terests of  Clarkton  and  the  rich  surrounding- 
agricultural  territory,  which  is  noted  for  its  fine 
farms.  He  served  several  years  on  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  of  Bladen  County  and  was 
chairman  thereof  for  two  years.  He  is  an  elder 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  known  as  Brown 
Marsh  Church,  and  which  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  historic  churches  in  the  Cape  Fear 
section,  its  written  records  going  back  to  1795, 
with  the  probability  that  it  was  founded  some' 
years  earlier  than  that  date. 

Mr.  Currie  married  Miss  Augusta  Evans,  of 
Cumberland  County,  North  Carolina,  a  member 
of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  hi.storic  families  of 
that  county,  and  a  daughter  of  the  late  Erasmus 
Evans.  To  this  union  there  have  been  born  live 
children:  Isabella  Campliell,  Augusta  t>ans, 
John  Duncan,  Neill  Alexander,  Jr.,  and  Annie 
Kelso  Currie. 

John  Marshall  Clement,  son  of  John  Clement 
and  his  wife,  Nancy  Bailey,  was  born  in  what  was 
then  Rowan  County,  now  Davie,  on  November  1, 
1825.  His  first  teachers  in  Mocksville  were  Mr. 
Buford,  Mr.  Peter  S.  Ney,  and  Rev.  Baxter  Clegg. 
the  second  named  being  the  reputed  French  mar- 
shal. Mr.  Clement  was  small  when  he  attended 
Mr.  Ney 's  school,  but  retained  the  same  vivid 
impressions  of  him  which  seemed  ever  to  follow 
Ney.  E\en  the  scar  across  the  forehead,  which 
to  many  is  convicing  proof  of  his  identity  with 
Napoleon 's  greatest  general,  he  would  describe 
graphicaUy,  as  well  as  the  fencing  lessons  given 
to  the  larger  boys  with  canes  cut  from  the  forest 
in  which  the  little  schoolhouse  stood.  While  con- 
sidering him  by  far  the  most  imjiressive  and 
unique  acquaintance  of  his  youth,  Mr.  Clement  -was 
not  entirely  persuaded  he  was  Marshal  Ney,  from 
the  fact  of  his  profound  erudition  and  culture, 
while  history  teaches  us  the  real  Ney  was  com- 
paratively unlearned. 

Mr.  Clement  went  to  Bethany,  in  Iredell  County, 
when  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  en- 
tered the  school  of  Hugh  R.  Hall.  Afterward  he 
attended  Mr.  Clegg 's  school,  the  Mocksville  Acad- 
emy, until  1844,  when  he  went  to  the  North  and 
entered  Pennsylvania  College  at  Gettysburg,  Penn- 
sylvania.    The  journey  was  made  by  private  con- 


veyance and  stage,  and  was  long  and  tedious.  Very 
interesting  was  his  account  of  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington at  that  period,  his  visit  to  the  White 
House,  Capitol,  and  other  public  places.  The 
Capitol  was  at  some  distance  from  the  city,  and 
was  reached  by  a  path  across  open  country,  where 
the  grand  Pennsylvania  Avenue  now  is.  He  re- 
maiiied  in  Gettysburg  during  his  entire  collegiate 
course  of  two  years,  as  the  distance  was  considered 
so  great  and  travel  so  slow.  A  great  grief  was  his, 
on  August  .'U,  1845,  being  caused  by  the  death  of 
his  father.  Between  the  father  and  son  was 
an  unusual  depth  of  love  and  feeling,  dis- 
tinguished by  pride  on  the  part  of  the  father  and 
implicit  faith  and  obedience  on  part  of  the  son. 
He  was  a  close  student,  and  this,  combineil  with 
a  naturally  bright  mind,  won  many  honors  for  him 
in  society  and  class,  and  he  was  chosen  valedic- 
torian in  June,  1846.  After  graduation  he  re- 
turne<l  home  and  assumed,  at  the  youthful  age 
of  twenty-one,  control  of  his  father 's  estate,  the 
guardianship  of  his  younger  brothers  and  sis- 
ters, and  relief  of  the  brave  little  mother.  How' 
well  he  fulfilled  that  trust  with  his  own  busy 
professional  life  is  shown  in  a  remark  made  after 
his  death  by  his  youngest  brother,  Captain  W.  A. 
Clement :  "I  never  questioned  my  obedience  to 
him,  never  looked  upon  him  as  brother,  but  as  a 
father,  and  never  had  an  unkind  word  or  look 
from  him. ' ' 

He  read  law  at  Richmond  Hill  with  Chief  Jus- 
tice Richmond  M.  Pearson,  for  whom  he  always 
cherished  the  fondest  love  of  a  friend  and  the 
highest  admiration  as  a  teacher.  He  was  licensed 
to  practice  law  at  June  term,  1848. 

He  was  married  on  .January  18,  ISoIi,  to  Miss 
Mary  Jane  Hayden,  only  daughter  of  William 
Hayden,  and  his  wife,  Mary  Welch.  By  this  mar- 
riage he  had  ten  children.  Three  sons  died  in 
childhood,  .John  Hayden,  Marshall  and  Eugene,  and 
one  daughter,  Mary  Elizabeth,  in  graceful  Chris- 
tian womanhood.  Those  surviving  are:  Louis 
Henry  Clement,  attorney,  Salisliury,  North  Caro- 
lina; Mrs.  H.  H.  Trundle,  Leesburg,  Virginia: 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Gaither,  Mrs.  Julia  C.  Heitman,  Her- 
bert and  Walter  R.  Clement,  of  Mocksville,  North 
Carolina. 

Much  of  the  success  of  his  business  and  pro- 
fessional life  he  attributed  to  his  noble  Chris- 
tion  wife,  his  love  for  her  lieing  the  crown  of  his 
life.  Combining  in  an  unusual  degree  mental  en- 
dowments with  a  liberal  education  and  great  ex- 
ecutive ability,  during  frequent  long  absences,  at- 
tendant on  his  far-reaching  practice,  she  never 
allowed  any  part  of  his  home  affairs,  including  a 
large  number  of  slaves  and  several  plantations, 
to  feel  the  lack  of  the  ' '  master  's  hand. ' '  He  con- 
sidered her  price  ' '  far  above  rubies, ' '  and  always 
referred  to  her  as  his  ' '  court  of  highest  appeal. ' ' 
Their  home  was  open  to  the  kindest  hospitality, 
and  many  good  and  distinguished  men  and  women 
met  around  their  board. 

In  his  early  life  he  served  one  term  in  the  Leg- 
islature of  North  Carolina.  The  rest  of  his  life 
he  devoted  to  his  jjrofession,  in  which  he  was 
wonderfully  successful.  His  practice  was  wide  and 
varied,  embracing  a  large  number  of  capital  cases, 
but  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  refused  to 
appear  for  the  prosecution  where  life  was  at 
stake.  His  devotion  to  his  clients  was  proverbial, 
and  it  was  said  of  him  the  more  desperate  the 
case  the  harder  he  labored.  By  his  close  appli- 
cation  he   had   so   mastered    the   law   that  its  most 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


119 


intricate  problems  he  could  reason  out  as  if  by 
intuition.  He  was  a  brilliant  speaker,  a  elose  rea- 
souer,  an  accurate  pleader,  and  a  profound  lawyer.- 
Before  the  courts  where  he  practiced,  both  State 
and  Federal,  none  stood  higher  than  John  Marshall 
Clement.  Illustrating  his  legal  acumen  and  pro- 
found knowledge  of  the  princiiales  of  equity,  at 
June  term,  1861,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North 
Carolina,  he  argued  for  the  plaintiff  the  case  of 
Sains  vs.  Dulin  (39  N.  C.  Kept.  195).  His  views 
of  the  doctrine  of  equity  involved  were  not 
adopted  by  the  Supreme  Court  at  that  time;  but 
in  1900,  after  his  death,  the  case  of  Luton  vs. 
Badham  (127  N.  C.  Kept.,  96)  was  decided, 
which  overruled  Sain  vs.  Dulin,  supra,  and  sus- 
tained Mr.  Clement's  view  of  the  case.  Judge 
D.  M.  Furches,  a  native  of  Davie  County,  and  who 
practiced  law  for  many  years  in  the  same  town 
with  Mr.  Clement,  and  who  admired  him  greatly, 
on  the  day  the  court  filed  this  opinion,  he  deliv- 
ering the  opinion,  wrote  a  letter  to  a  member 
of  Mr.  Clement's  family,  saying  it  gave  him  pleas- 
ure to  let  them  know  that  the  doctrine  contended 
for  by  him  nearly  forty  years  before  had  been 
adopted.  In  the  same  letter  he  also  communicated 
the  pleasing  information,  which  was  given  him  by 
Charles  Price,  of  Salisbury,  North  Caroliim,  that 
Mr.  Clement  during  the  war  had  kindly  furnished 
books  to  a  Federal  prisoner  in  Salisbury,  who 
afterward  became  a  distinguished  judge  of  the 
Federal  Court  of  Appeals. 

In  1878  Mr.  Clement's  name  was  iiresenteii  by 
his  friends  to  the  democratic  judicial  convention 
for  judge,  but  despite  the  strenuous  efforts  of 
these  friends  he  failed  to  receive  the  nomination, 
though  all  conceded  his  splendid  ability  and  fit- 
ness. It  is  no  secret  that  he  would  have  been 
elevated  to  the  Supreme  Court  bench  but  for  the 
condition  of  his  health,  which  was  delicate  for 
many  years  before  his  death.  He  was  considered 
by  all  eminently  qualified,  both  in  learning  and 
character,  to  adorn  the  highest  judicial  tribunal 
of  our  state. 

In  his  home  life  he  was  at  his  best.  So  gentle, 
loving  and  kind,  yet  firm,  wise  and  just,  always 
unyielding  in  any  point  he  considered  best  for  his 
children 's  highest  good,  he  was  an  ideal  parent, 
for  while  he  loved  his  own,  he  was  quick  to  see 
their  faults  and  to  correct  the  same,  and  as  ever 
ready  to  commend  and  reward  worth.  Cheerful 
in  his  disposition,  entertaining  in  conversation, 
genial  and  gentle  in  manner,  he  was  a  most  nota- 
ble and  attractive  man.  His  religious  life  was 
deep  and  quiet,  but  was  founded  on  the  Rock, 
Christ  Jesus,  as  he  was  taught  in  his  childhood  at 
his  mother's  knee,  and  at  the  all-day  Sabbath 
School  of  Joppa  Presbyterian  Cliureh.  Although 
his  professional  duties  called  him  to  various  Jior- 
tions  of  this  and  other  states,  his  home  was  within 
a  half  mile  of  where  he  was  born,  and  he  now  sleeps 
in  the  old  Clement  graveyard  on  the  hill,  just  be- 
yond, overlooking  .the  meadow  and  playground  of 
his  boyhood — a  fit,  peaceful  resting  place,  so  near 
to  home,  so  close  to  heaven.  Mr.  Clement  died 
June  4,  1886. 

I 
Louis  Henry  .Clement.  Only  to  the  few  and 
the  best  in  any  profession  can  such  rare  distinc- 
tions come  as  have  been  bestowed  ujion  Louis 
Henry  Clement  during  his  long  and  active  career 
as  a  lawyer.  These  distinctions  are  measured 
less  by  conspicuous  public  place  than  by  straight- 
forward   and    valuable    service,    much    of    it    quite 


unknown    and    appreciated    by    the    general    pub- 
lic, in  the  walks  of  his  profession. 

How  he  is  regarded  by  the  profession  in  gen- 
eral throughout  the  state  is  well  indicated  by  his 
election  unanimously  and  without  solicitation  on 
his  part  in  1908  as  President  of  the  North  Carolina 
Bar  Association.  For  ten  years  or  more  he  was 
also  President  of  the  local  bar  association  of 
Rowan  County. 

As  told  in  the  language  of  an  old  friend  and 
neighbor  some  of  the  prominent  points  of  his 
career  were  noted  as  follows:  "  As  a  lawyer  Mr. 
Clement  has  always  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
respect,  not  only  of  his  brethren  of  the  bar,  but 
of  the  community  at  large,  and  of  a  large  and 
intelligent  clientele.  He  has  proved  himself  not 
only  an  aide  and  effective  advocate,  but  a  wise 
ami  prudent  counsellor.  As  a  citizen  he  was  al- 
ways been  generous,  hospitable  and  public  spir- 
ited. Of  engaging  address,  cordial  manners,  neat- 
ness and  tastefulness  in  dress,  with  a  friendly 
word  and  genial  smile  for  all,  Mr.  Clement  is  de- 
servedly popular  with  all  classes  of  citizens,  and 
with  a  wide  circle  of  friends  throughout  the 
state.  Of  liberal  education,  of  extensive  reading 
and  wide  information,  added  to  a  sparkling  wit 
and  cheery  humor,  he  is  the  most  delightful  of 
companions. ' ' 

And  what  he  received  by  inheritance  has  fitted 
in  splendidly  with  his  individual  attainments,  and 
he  has  honored  as  well  as  has  been  honored  by  the 
character  of  his  ancestry.  His  }iaternal  grand- 
parents were  John  and  Nancy  (Bailey)  Clement, 
the  latter  a  member  of  an  old  and  prominent 
Davie  County  family.  Hon.  John  Cnement  for 
many  years  represented  Davie  and  Rowan  coun- 
ties in  the  General  Assembly  of  North  Carolina 
and  died  at  his  desk  while  serving  as  clerk  of  the 
Superior  Court  of  the  former  county.  The  ma- 
ternal grandparents  of  Louis  H.  Clement  were 
William  and  Mary  (Welch)  Hayden,  prominent 
citizens  of  Da\'ie  County. 

Louis  Henry  Clement  was  born  at  Mocksville, 
Davie  County,  January  19,  1854,  a  son  of  John 
Marshall  and  Mary  Jane  (Hayden)  Clement.  His 
mother  is  remembered  as  a  woman  of  fine  intelli- 
gence and  strong  Christian  character,  while  to  his 
father  Mr.  Clement  is  indebted  for  those  rugged 
powers  of  intellect  which  characterized  John  Mar- 
shall Clement  as  one  of  the  greate.st  lawyers  of 
the  state  and  one  of  the  most  loved  and  respected 
men  of  his  generation.  He  was  in  politics  only 
briefly,  during  which  he  served  a  term  in  the 
General  Assembly.  But  as  a  lawyer  he  rose  to  the 
very  heights  of  professional  success  and  reputa- 
tion. 

With  all  the  advantages  that  such  a  family  in- 
sured in  the  way  of  social  manners,  high  ideals 
and  incentive  to  achievements,  Louis  Henry  Cle- 
ment sjienl^his  early  life  at  the  Village  of  Mocks- 
ville, attended  preparatory  schools  and  then  en- 
teied  Pennsylvania  College  at  Gettysburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  was  graduated  with  honor  in 
the  class  of  1876.  Just  thirty  years  before,  in 
1846,  his  father  had  been  valedictorian  at  the 
same  college.  At  college  he  distinguished  himself 
as  a  student  and  was  very  active  in  debating  and 
literary   societies. 

On  returning  home  he  took  up  the  study  of  law 
under  one  of  the  eminent  jurists  of  North  Caro- 
lina, Richmond  M.  Pearson,  Chief  Justice  of  North 
Carolina  at  Richmond  Hill.  He  was  licensed  to 
practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  in  June,  1877,  and 


120 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


since  tlien  forty  years  have  been  devoted  liy  him 
to  the  law  with  only  brief  and  occasional  interrup- 
tions through  public  office.  He  practiced  in  Davie  ■ 
County  and  tor  two  years  was  Solicitor  of  the 
Inferior  Court,  but  in  1880  removed  to  Salisbury, 
where  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  an  associate 
of  one  of  the  prominent  lawyers  of  North  Carolina, 
Hon.  Kerr  Craige.  This  partnership  was  dissolved 
when  Mr.  Craige  was  made  Third  Assistant  Post- 
master General  during  Cleveland's  administration. 
After  that  Mr.  Clement  practiced  alone  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  in  1909  took  into  partnership 
his  son,  Hayden  Clement.  Today  the  tirra  Clement 
&  Clement  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
successful  in  the  entire  state. 

In  1885  Mr.  Clement  was  appointed  Solicitor 
ad-interim  of  the  Ninth  Judicial  District  of  North 
Carolina,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death 
of  Hon.  Joseph  Dobson.  He  has  never  been  an 
active  candidate  for  any  political  office.  And  con- 
sidering the  valuable  work  he  has  done  in  his 
profession  and  the  fine  dignity  and  prestige  at- 
taching to  his  name,  none  could  be  found  who 
would  doubt  that  he  had  chosen  wisely  in  pre- 
ferring the  strict  lines  of  professional  work  to 
the  turbulence  of  a  political  career.  Mr.  Clement 
is  a  loyal  democrat,  is  a  York  and  Scottish  Rite 
Mason  and  Shriner,  has  for  many  years  been  a 
communicant  of  St.  Luke 's  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  at  Salisbury,  and  is  chairman  of  the  Board 
of  Managers  of  the  Wachovia  Bank  &  Trust  Com- 
pany, the  Salisbury  branch.  In  1910  Pennsyl- 
vania College,  his  alma  mater,  conferred  upon 
him  the  honorary  degree  LL.  D.,  others  similarly 
honored  at  the  same  time  being  Hon.  Martin  G. 
Brumbaugh,  then  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
Judge  Harter  of  Canton,  Ohio. 

In  November,  1878,  Mr.  Clement  married  Miss 
Mamie  C.  Buehler  of  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania. 
Her  father,  Edward  B.  Buehler,  was  one  of  the 
distinguished  lawyers  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Clement  had  an  ideal  marriage  companion- 
ship lasting  nearly  thirty-five  years,  terminated 
by  her  death  on  April  20,  1913.  She  was  a  devout 
Christian,  a  leader  in  social  life,  and  was  both 
loved  and  venerated  in  her  home  circle.  She  was 
the  mother  of  four  sons  who  have  already  done 
much  to  honor  their  parents.  These  sons  are: 
Hayden  Clement,  mentioned  on  other  pages;  Dr. 
Edward  Buehler  CHement,  a  physician  at  Atlan- 
tic City,  New  Jersey;  Donald,  an  assistant  quar- 
termaster with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  in  the 
National  army;  Louis  H.,  Jr.,  battalioii  adjutant 
of  the  Three  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Infantry, 
United  States  Regulars,  with  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant.  All  the  sons  completed  their  educa- 
tion  in  the  LTniversity   of   North   Carolina. 

Hayden  Clement,  junior  member  of  the  law 
firm  of  Clement  &  Clement  at  Salisbury,  his  sen- 
ior being  his  father,  Louis  H.  Clement,  who  for 
over  thirty  years  has  ranked  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  state  bar,  has  gained  a  wealth  of  dis- 
tinction through  his  own  comparatively  brief 
career,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  lawyer  under 
forty  years  of  age  in  North  Carolina  has  borne 
with  greater  credit  more  of  the  higher  respon- 
sibilities  of  public  life   than   Hayden   Clement. 

He  represents  the  fourth  generation  of  a  prom- 
inent family  in  which  the  oldest  son  on  the  pa- 
ternal side  has  been  a  lawyer,  and  his  own  career 
i<!  to  some  extent  a  reflection  of  the  great  virtues 
and  abilites  of  such  eminent  legal  lights  as  John 


Msrshall  Clement  and  Edward  B.  Buehler,  his 
grandfathers,   and   Louis   H.   Clement,   his   father. 

Hayden  Clement  was  born  at  Mocksville,  North 
Carolina,  the  town  where  many  of  his  ancestors 
had  lived,  on  September  25,  1879.  The  next  year 
his  parents  moved  to  Salisburj-,  where  he  at- 
tended public  schools,  and  did  his  preparatory 
work  in  Horner 's  MUitary  Academy.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1899,  he  entered  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  and  had  a  brilliant  record  as  a  student 
and  leader  in  student  activities  at  the  university. 
However,  he  did  not  remain  to  graduate,  learing 
during  his  senior  year  to  take  up  the  study  of 
law.  In  190u  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  at 
once  began  practice  at  Salisbury. 

In  January,  1907,  when  he  was  not  yet  thirty 
years  of  age,  Mr.  Clement  was  appointed  Assist- 
ant Attorney  General  of  North  Carolina.  This 
office  had  been  created  by  the  legislature  owing 
to  the  protracted  illness  of  the  Attorney  General, 
and  Mr.  Clement  was  therefore  the  first  incum- 
bent of  that  special  office  and  for  two  years  he 
had  entire  charge  of  the  Attorney  General 's  de- 
jiartment.  His  work  as  Assistant  Attorney  Gen- 
eral deserves  all  the  high  praise  that  has  been 
given  it.  He  was  the  first  to  recommend  and 
through  his  efforts  had  passed  the  law  abol- 
ishing public  executions  in  North  Carolina.  He 
also  recommended  the  creation  of  four  additional 
Superior  Court  judges  from  the  division  of  the 
state  into  two  circuits.  Through  his  efforts  the 
number  of  challenges  in  criminal  cases  was 
changed.  The  Assistant  Attorney  General  also  had 
much  to  do  with  the  railroad  rate  and  freight  liti- 
gation of  the  past  ten  years.  One  of  his  opinions 
was  on  the  constitutionality  of  the  prohibition  act 
voted  by  the  state  in  May,  1908. 

Such  was  his  record  in  this  special  office  that 
every  reason  existed  why  he  should  be  chosen  to 
fill  the  office  of  Attorney  General.  At  the  primaries 
of  1908  he  received  a  distinctive  plurality  of  all 
votes,  but  not  quite  enough  to  insure  his  nomina- 
tion. In  the  Charlotte  convention  his  candidacy 
was  lost,  to  the  regret  of  all  right-thinking  citizens 
of  Nortii  Carolina,  as  a  result  of  the  factional 
fight  by  three  pirominent  candidates  for  the  office 
of  Governor  that  year. 

Then  in  1909,  after  leaving  the  office  of  Assist- 
ant Attorney  General,  Mr.  Clement  returned  to 
Salisbury  and  formed  the  partnership  of  Clement 
&  Clement  with  his  father,  which  is  one  of  the 
leading  law  firms  of  the  state.  Since  then  he  has 
had  much  to  do  with  politics  and  public  affairs. 
He  served  as  chairman  of  the  Congressional  Com- 
mittee of  the  Eighth  District,  and  organized  the 
district  so  thoroughly  that  it  elected  Hon.  R.  L. 
Doughton  for  Congress.  This  was  a  surprising 
result,  involving  a  change  of  over  2,000  votes,  and 
maiing  a  democratic  district  out  of  a  district  that 
had  been  normally  republican  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  1912  Mr.  Clement  again  managed  the 
Doughton  campaign  and  in  -that  year  he  was 
chosen  to  represent  the  Eighth  District  as  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Baltimore  Convention  which  nominated 
Woodrow  Wilson  for  president. 

For  the  past  four  years  Mr.  Clement  has  gained 
further  fame  and  reputation  in  the  public  life  of 
his  native  state  through  the  energetic  and  capable 
administration  he  has  given  to  the  office  of  Solici- 
tor of  the  Fifteenth  Judicial  District.  He  was 
first  appointed  to  this  office  by  Governor  Craig  in 
March,  1914,  and  in  the  democratic  primaries  of 
that  year  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  of- 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


121 


fioe.  He  was  also  unanimously  elected  in  the  fall 
of  1914  auj  since  then  has  given  a  vigorous 
administration,  and  yet  has  been  called  one  of 
the  most  humane  solicitors  the  district  has  ever 
had.  As  Solicitor  Mr.  Clement  was  active  in  the 
prosecution  of  a  case  that  attracted  national  at- 
tention during  the  fall  of  1917.  This  was  the 
prosecution  of  Gaston  Means  for  the  murder  of 
the  widow  King  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Clement  is  ves- 
tryman in  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Church  of  Salts- 
bury,  is  affiliated  with  the  Junior  Order  of  United 
American  Mechanics,  the  Masons  and  the  Sigma 
Nu  college  fraternity.  June  25,  1913,  he  married 
Miss  Clay  Wornall  Croxton,  daughter  of  Col.  and 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Croxton  of  Winchester,  Kentucky.  Her 
father  served  with  the  rank  of  colonel  under  Gen- 
eral Morgan  during  the  war  between  the  states. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clement  have  one  son,  Hayden  Crox- 
ton  Clement. 

Mr.  Clement  has  well  justified  the  assertion 
made  of  him  recently  that  ' '  no  young  man  in  the 
state  has  risen  as  rapidly  or  made  good  more  com- 
pletely than  has  Hayden  Clement. ' '  And  none 
will  question  the  essential  truth  and  appropriate- 
ness of  the  following  sentiments  which  have  been 
expressed :  ' '  As  a  courageous  champion  of  clean 
politics  and  the  welfare  of  the  average  man,  his 
services  have  been  invaluable;  as  an  efficient  pub- 
lic official,  one  who  knows  no  favoritism,  the  peo- 
ple delight  to  honor  him ;  as  a  patriot  and  gentle- 
man he  has  no  superior  in  North  Carolina.  In- 
deed it  may  truthfully  be  said  of  Hayden  Clement 
he  is  one  of  the  state 's  best  and  ablest  young 
men,  and  that  broader  fields  of  usefulness  are  just 
before  him. ' ' 

P.-^YTON  B.  Abbott  was  one  of  Winston-Salem 's 
liest  known  men.  He  practiced  law  in  Virginia 
before  coming  to  North  Carolina,  and  also  had 
extensive  experience  as  a  newspaper  man  and  was 
a  regularly  ordained  minister  of  the  Christian 
Church.  He  died  in  January,  1917,  after  six  years 
of  residence  in  Winston-Salem. 

Mr.  Abbott  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Craig  Coun- 
ty, Virginia,  February  25,  1860.  There  is  a  town 
named  Abbott  in  that  section  of  Virginia,  and  the 
family  has  been  identified  with  that  community 
for  generations.  However,  his  lineage  goes  back 
to  an  earlier  generation  that  had  its  first  home  in 
Western  North  Carolina.  He  is  lineally  descended 
from  one  of  five  brothers  who  came  out  of  England 
to  America  in  the  early  Colonial  period  and  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts.  Their  descendants  are  now 
scattered  over  every  state  of  the  Union.  Some  of 
them  came  south  and  located  in  what  is  now  Stokes 
County,  North  Carolina.  It  was  in  that  county 
that  Thomas  Abbott,  great-grandfather  of  the 
Winston-Salem  lawyer,  was  born.  He  moved  to 
Botetourt  C'ounty,  Virginia,  and  settled  in  that 
section  of  the  county  now  known  as  Craig  County. 
There  he  spent  his  last  years.  Grandfather  James 
Abbott  was  a  native  of  Botetourt  County,  now 
Craig  County,  Virginia,  and  became  a  successful 
farmer.  He  acquired  some  very  extensive  land 
holdings  and  was  a  resident  of  the  county  until 
his  death  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine.  The  name  of 
his  first  wife,  grandmother  of  Payton  B.  Abbott, 
was   Elizabeth    Carper. 

Sinclair  C.  Abbott,  father  of  Payton,  was  born 
in  Craig  County,  Virginia,  and  though  of  a  sub- 
stantial family  he  had  limited  opportunities  to 
acquire  an  education.  He  made  the  best  of  his 
advantages,  however,  and  became   a  skillful  sur- 


veyor. For  many  years  he  devoted  his  time  to  that 
profession  and  did  much  work  in  Craig  and  ad- 
joining cpunties  and  also  in  West  Virginia.  His 
home  was  five  miles  south  of  Newcastle,  Virginia. 
He  died  there  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  Sinclair 
Abbott  married  Lucinda  Williams,  who  was  born 
in  Craig  County,  daughter  of  Eev.  Philip  B.  and 
Mrs.  (McPherson)  Williams.  The  latter  was  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  while  Philip  B.  Williams  was  of 
Welsh  stock  and  a  minister  of  the  CTliristian  Church. 
Mrs.  Sinclair  Abbott  died  at  the  age  of  forty-five, 
having  reared  nine  children:  Payton  B.,  Frank  L., 
Gurdine  A.,  Robert  E.  Lee,  Luther  M.,  Wade  H., 
Edna,  Elizabeth  and  Minnie. 

Payton  B.  Abbott  attended  Milligan  College 
in  Johnson  County,  Tennessee,  and  after  the  com- 
pletion of  his  course  there  took  up  the  study  of 
law,  at  first  in  the  office  of  Judges  Holmes  and 
Lee  at  Newcastle,  Virginia,  and  later  with  Major 
Ballard  of  Salem.  His  last  instructor  was  Col. 
G.  W.  Housborough  of  Salem.  He  then  took  the 
examinations  of  the  University  of  Virginia  Law 
Department  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1885. 
Mr.  Abbott  began  his  professional  career  at  New- 
castle, Virginia.  For  four  years  he  served  as 
commonwealth  attorney  of  Craig  County.  From 
Newcastle  he  removed  to  Bluefield,  Virginia,  and 
was  in  active  practice  there  until  1910,  in  which 
year  he  removed  to  Winston-Salem.  Instead  of 
taking  up  the  practice  of  law  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  staff  of  the  Winston-Salem  Sentinel, 
and  was  active  in  newspaper  work  two  years. 
In  1900  Mr.  Abbott  was  licensed  to  preach  in  the 
Christian  Cliurch,  and  after  coming  to  North 
Carolina  he  took  charge  as  pastor  of  the  churches 
at  Pfafftown,  Muddy  Creek  and  Galacia  in  the 
Winston-Salem  district.  In  1915,  having  taken 
the  examination  before  the  Court  of  Appeals, 
Mr.  Abbott  was  admitted  to  practice  in  North 
Carolina,  and  from  September  of  that  year  gave 
his  time  and  energies  to  the  law. 

In  1889  he  married  Miss  Marietta  Chaffin,  who, 
with  ten  children,  survives.  Mrs.  Abbott  was 
born  at  Mount  Airy  in  Surrey  County,  North 
Carolina,  daughter  of  John  and  Araminta  (Smith) 
Chaffin. 

JAME.S  Alexander  Hartness  of  Statesville  en- 
joys many  distinctions  in  his  home  community, 
but  over  the  state  at  large  his  most  significant  con- 
tribution to  progress  and  welfare  of  North  Caro- 
lina was  undoubtedly  his  splendid  and  determined 
leadership  in  the  cause  of  prohibition,  at  firi^t  in 
his  home  county  and  later  in  the  state  wide  move- 
ment. While  a  host  of  good  men  and  women  con- 
tributed to  the  final  victory,  it  is  doubtful  if  any 
one  more  iicrsistently  and  courageously  and  for  a 
longer  period  of  years  waged  the  good  fight  than 
James  A.  Hartness. 

Some  time  ago  when  he  was  asked  concerning 
his  inveterate  hostility  to  the  liquor  traffic,  Mr. 
Hartness  said  he  recalled  that  when  a  boy  he 
formed  a  very  decided  aversion  to  this  destructive 
custom  and  traffic,  and  then  and  there  resolved  that 
he  would  never  be  satisfied  until  he  saw  it  abolished. 
Seldom  does  a  purpo.se  formed  in  youth  harden  and 
gain  such  effectiveness  as  this  resolve  did  in  the 
case  of  Mr.  Hartness.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  also 
that  he  realized  that  prohibition  like  charity  begins 
at  home,  and  he  started  in  to  exert  his  influence 
in  his  home  town  of  Statesville.  Many  will  recall 
how  Statesville  in  the  older  days  was  a  center  of 
the    whiskey    business   with    almost    a   nationwide 


122 


HISTORY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


reputation.  Whiskey  in  large  quantities  was 
sliipped  in  and  out  by  wliolesale  liouses  and  otlier 
large  dealers  and  the  traffic  was  an  enormous  one. 
In  fact  Statesville  was  one  of  the  biggest  strong- 
holds of  the  liquor  traffic  in  the  entire  South.  Thus 
Mr.  Hartness  had  to  assail  a  giant  when  he  began 
his  campaign  for  local  option.  He  encountered  the 
most  violent  opposition  from  the  powerful  local 
liquor  interests  who  had  unlimited  money  and 
political  influence  behind  them.  The  community 
itself  had  lieen  drugged  by  the  presence  of  these 
interests,  and  was  not  easily  aroused  to  join  in 
the  fight  under  the  leadersliip  of  Mr.  Hartness. 
As  the  local  0]ition  movement  grew  in  strength,  Mr. 
Hartness  actually  took  his  political  future  in  his 
own  hands,  but  refused  to  be  daunted  in  his  deter- 
mination and  against  every  vindictive  resource, 
throats  of  violence,  and  personal  danger  he  pro- 
ceeded straight  to  the  goal  until  the  whiskey  liusi- 
ness  in  Statesville  was  completely  stamped  out. 

His  success  in  this  local  campaign  naturally 
rallied  around  him  as  a  leader  the  forces  in  the 
movement  for  statewide  prohibition,  and  in  1908 
he  was  elected  .superintendent  of  the  Anti-Saloon 
League  of  North  Carolina.  In  that  larger  campaign 
he  continued  one  of  the  efficient  leaders  until  its 
ends  and  objects  were  accomplished.  The  history 
of  the  prohibition  movement  in  North  Carolina  is 
now  ]>ractically  a  closed  record,  and  in  its  ])ages 
hardly  any  name  deserves  to  figure  more  largely 
than  that  of  James  Alexander  Hartjiess. 

Mr.  Hartness  is  a  native  of  Iredell  County,  hav- 
ing been  born  six  miles  north  of  Statesville  in 
186.'?.  His  parents,  Hiram  and  Martha  E.  (Gib- 
son) Hartness,  are  both  now  deceased,  and  were 
members  of  very  old  families  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  Several  generations  of  the  Hartnesses  have 
been  liorn  here,  grandfather  Alexander  having  been 
born  in  the  county  at  the  edge  of  Alexander 
County.  Hiram  Hartness  was  also  a  native  of 
Alexander  County.  Martha  E.  Gibson,  a  native  of 
Iredell  County,  was  a  daughter  of  Levi  Gibson,  and 
a  great-granddaughter  of  William  Gibson,  who 
came  from  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  to  North  Cai-o- 
lina  about  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
made  settlement  in  Bethany  Township  north  of 
Statesville  in  what  is  now  Iredell  but  was  then 
Rowan  County.  The  Gibson  family  home  in 
Bethany  Township  was  near  the  famous  "Academy 
of  Sciences, ' '  a  noted  school  conducted  by  Dr. 
James  Hall.  This  school  attracted  students  from 
all  over  the  South  and  gave  the  community  a  special 
character  as  an  educational  center. 

James  Alexander  Hartness  was  educated  under 
the  .stern  but  thorough  instruction  of  Prof.  J. 
H.  Hill  of  Statesville.  Professor  Hill,  who  is  still 
living  at  Statesville,  did  a  great  work  as  an  edu- 
cator not  only  of  the  intellect  liut  of  the  char- 
acter. He  left  an  indelible  impression  on  the 
minds  and  natures  of  many  men  who  have  since  he- 
come  prominent  figures  in  this  and  other  states. 

After  leaving  the  school  of  Professor  Hill  Mr. 
Hartness  studied  law  in  Major  Bingham 's  Law 
School  at  Statesville,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1887.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  an  active 
and  succe